Paying the Price
by Folded Papers
Summary: Sasuke needed money to pay for his vengeance. He participated in a bet, not knowing what hellish conditions he was booking for himself. Main KakaSasu, one chapter each for NejiSasu, NaruSasu, OCSasu, orgy. Yaoi.
1. Hell Money

"_Run, run little brother…"_

He woke up with a start, sweat shimmering on his forehead under the wan moon beam. Casting the blanket aside, the rather lean teenage boy with hair as black as coal sunk his face into his palms. That very nightmare had come back to haunting again. After taking those miserable tranquilizers he had gotten from the hospital (along with assurances that the dreams would stop coming), he found himself wide awake in the middle of the night suffering from the aftermath of Itachi's shadow.

Oh yes, Itachi, the person he wanted to slaughter with his own hands. How long had he yearned for his elder brother's blood seeping seamlessly between the gaps of his fingers.

Sasuke had given a long thought about his future. He knew he would someday leave the village to seek vengeance, and perhaps to widen his experience of life. He would be traveling alone, that was for certain, and he would dedicate his life to becoming a hired assassin. He heard the pay was good. Or Konoha would allow him to live like the legendary Jiraiya-sama, still loyal to the village yet bodily, he would not be there.

Selling Konoha off would be the last on his mind. He would never repeat what his dear older sibling had done.

Unfortunately, tracking Itachi down would take a lot of his time and he would not have the leisure to earn any money. No money meant no support, and no support lead to utter poverty, something even the thrifty boy could not stand. He had been 16 for two months already. Surely the Hokage would assign some _real _missions for him to do. All he had gotten so far were petty D to C-rank missions. He had his best friend to thank for – Naruto. The Elders had intervened; they wanted to keep Naruto chained to Konoha, spiritually and physically. While Sasuke still had the heart to sympathise with Naruto's predicament, he found it difficult to extend his pity now that it had burdened him financially indirectly. Those lowly missions did not earn him much. In fact, he had only enough to save for a modest retirement.

He doubted that amount would suffice if he were to go after Itachi.

The great thing about being 16 was he would be able to go on missions _alone._ No Naruto to bother him, no team mates to look after. _Perfect. _But the Elders insisted that Uchiha Sasuke should _never _be left alone. The reasons were still unclear even to himself but he had a shrewd suspicion that deep down in their mind, they viewed him as the next coming of Itachi. Screw Itachi for messing up with his life.

There were so many reasons to slay the man yet so many obstacles to pass through.

Sasuke got to his feet and walked towards the window. He looked glumly at the unsightly grasses thriving prosperously in his neighbours' yard. Maybe they were keen in hiring a Genin to weed the lawn? What a laugh, he, the proud descendent of the Uchiha, bowing humbly to a mound of earth pulling plants from dirt?

It would be cheap; both to his pride and his wallet.

Sasuke sighed, ruffling his hair as he racked his brain for the conversation he heard over a brief visit to the toilet. Some men were talking about a bar at the end of the village. Apparently five rich big timers were on a business dealing in town and had organized a luxurious bet for the villagers. In a nutshell, if Sasuke wanted to earn some easy money, that was it.

The boy stretched and turned to his bathroom. As the sun rose, he was already slipping behind the shower curtain, laying out a time table mentally to allocate some time for some snooping at the bar.

--

"_We'll meet here at nine. Sharp. And I mean it."_

So Kakashi said.

Yesterday, they departed from yet another tedious D-rank mission which involved loads of fishes; a fisherman by the village's river hired them to locate 17 of his lost fish traps. It so happened that all 17 were so full of fishes and fries that they had the time of their life unloading the catches onto a wagon. And after hours of meaningless effort, Team 7 bid themselves goodbye but not before the team leader-cum-teacher set an appointment at 9 the next morning. Two of his students groaned openly, whining about how tired every little bone in their bodies was.

As if Sasuke was having fun dealing with fishes.

Sasuke walked towards the rendezvous point, his eyes scanning no where in particular. As he gazed nonchalantly into the sky, a swift blur evaded his sight. Sasuke stopped. The blur had vanished. He was almost sure he had not imagined it and was just as confident that a shinobi was running about on the roofs. It was normal to see people hopping off roofs in Konoha, but shinobi of Konoha did not dress in black from top to bottom unless there was a funeral. Sasuke turned around to trace the figure and saw it sprinting towards the opposite side of his destination and raised his brow.

The figure wore a porcelain white mask; he saw it reflected sun light.

An ANBU was on the move.

The Elders had denied one too many times that they had dispatched ANBU members to spy on Sasuke. The latter was no fool; he had seen their reflections from mirrors, glasses and even the back of his teaspoon. At least one will be tailing him, gathering information he presumed. Since ANBU was directly under the order of the Hokage, he had suspected that she was behind it.

Unfortunately, even though he did not know Tsunade-sama well, he trusted her enough to believe that those ANBU were not acting on her behalf. And the other party who had the power to control the ANBU was the Elders.

The teen growled silently, detesting the fact that he could not live his life as freely as he wanted. With all the intention to postpone his planned meeting with Team 7, Sasuke took off and followed the fading blur with comparable speed.

Yet not two minutes had passed when he noted a queer looking bar at the end of the road. The ANBU had landed and Sasuke took cover behind a large billboard. Squatting behind it, he discerned the dismal atmosphere of the place and the identities of the visitors of the bar. It smelt strongly of sake, something Sasuke could not stand. He half-heartedly wanted to turn back and let the ANBU go for now but decided against it when the masked man crouched mysteriously by the chimney. Removing the porcelain masquerade, he jumped into the vent and was gone.

ANBU were not supposed to drink while on mission, that is, while donning his mask. It was against the rule; his dear elder brother had told him before. Entering via the most troublesome way proved his guilt somewhat.

"Got you," Sasuke muttered triumphantly.

The delinquent of an elite shinobi was going to end up in jail. Sasuke on the other hand might end up with a hundred pieces of gold richer from the reward.

He got up and tucked his right ring and little finger below the thumb. Gathering chakra into his hand seal, he said, "Henge no jutsu."

The bar was off limits to underage and being one, Sasuke had no choice but to disguise himself. Tsunade would have to reprimand him later but for now, he was more interested in the reward money than his merit points.

Sasuke leapt off the roof and stood by the entrance. Almost all of the clients were male – that was a relief. So there was nothing shady going on in there like prostitution since there was a lack of number in the female species. Swinging the flap over his shoulder, he walked in and immediately searched for a mirror.

He saw it; his reflection.

He had Henge-d into a lean, tall man about the age of twenty. Generally he looked just about the same but there was a change in his brows and eyes that made this "adult" looked more confident and sturdy. Inside, he was a tad nervous; this was his first time coming into a bar while facing a high probability of battling a full-fledged ANBU in public.

"So good fellows, what do you want to bet on?"

It caught his ears.

"Bet on anything! You either win or lose the money you bet, so it's a clean game folks!"

That was it; the bet. It had begun.

Not wanting to lose out on anything, Sasuke inched closer to the middle table where a small crowd was gathering. He saw five big lumps huddled around in the innermost circle. They could only be the rumoured big shots.

"Ah, sorry for my lateness! There was a meeting five minutes ago."

A stranger strode into the mass with a grin carved on his face. The five large men waved their hands impatiently, flagging him to come closer and cut the unnecessary cordiality. Sasuke studied the newcomer for a while, noticing his wavy black hair and –

"The mask," Sasuke mumbled, frowning. It hung loosely around his neck on his back.

Everything was falling into the right spaces. If the bet was done scrupulously, he would not mind chancing a shot, and at the same time he would be able to apprehend the ANBU personally. So all in all, he would gain money, some satisfaction and freedom. It was all good to Sasuke.

He made up the backmost line of the barricade of crowd and tried to pay attention to the speaker. He had a weird symbol on his left cheek and the rest kept quiet whenever he spoke. Sasuke assumed he was the leader.

"'Right, thanks for your ears. We know Konoha villagers are interested in making easy money and we've gained quite a lot from Konoha. Consider this a give-back month; we'd like to do something for all of you!"

A raucous applause met his speech.

"But since we're also businessmen, we can't do charity all the time. So, we set up this little bet for all of us to get equal chances of winning. What do you think?"

More cheers from the audience.

Sasuke was _very _irked by the animalistic response. This was the other façade of Konoha citizens; they were beasts in places where they could show their fangs. If Sasuke had not joined them today, he would not have known the truth either. But what had that got to do with him; he distanced himself from other people all of the time.

He shifted onto his other leg and listened once more as the hoots died.

"As you know, this bet consists of three separate rounds. All will be carried out in one month," the speaker faltered as a loud groan of disappointment emanated from a corner. "We're constantly on the move so I hope you can understand the situation, gentlemen."

After the bet was done, Sasuke would be glad to send them off the village's border. They were partially why Konoha citizens behaved like this. Or perhaps they were just lacking in the moral department from the start?

"The level of difficulty increases as we progress further. Of course, the person involved will get more money if he succeeded."

"What d'you mean?"

"We mean," the speaker said, "that you'll be betting on this person."

The dull murmur which had erupted before dispersed.

"We're changing the rules a bit this time, folks. We'll invite a gentleman from your midst to participate in this bet. _He _will take on three challenges and you will be betting on his failure or success. If he succeeded, he will get his share of money, which will ultimately, come from your pocket. If he lost, he loses nothing but you will lose your bet."

An angry chorus wreaked the bar.

"How is that fair to us since that person will either win some money or get nothing?"

The five men laughed. Slowly, the speaker turned back to the crowd and addressed the dissatisfied.

"It is fair once you know what we're putting him through," he said darkly.

Sasuke folded his arms across his chest. If he meant carrying out life-threatening tasks, then they meant nothing at all. In fact, the prospect of either winning or losing nothing enticed him. Sasuke was sure he would be able to surf through this one month easily and collect that money along the way.

When will they start selecting the "chosen" one?"

"We're putting up an initial price."

The speaker splayed his palm clearly to be seen by everyone.

"5 000 gold pieces."

Sasuke's lips curled. That was a good start. It seemed that the crowd was interested by the gold too. He had gotten some competitors then.

"Now that you know what's up for grab, what do you think? Are you answering the challenge, citizens of Konohagakure?"

Sasuke expected half of the crowd to march up the men and expressed their want but to his silent amusement, none did. Were there no ninjas around to take up the battle?

It was not like he would complain anyway.

"I accept your challenge," Sasuke declared clearly from the back. The strangers about looked at him with bulged eyes as if the young lad had lost his mind for volunteering.

Too bad for them – they did not know this young lad had the Uchiha blood in him.

"Oho, we have a prospective contestant!"

The temporary silence was then broken by the loud mass clapping. Sasuke walked up to the central table where the attention was most intense. The five men stood up. Sasuke was quite aware of the ANBU's searching look.

"Great, great… you're a brave one, young lad. And a rather charming one at that…"

Sasuke glared. That was not how you greeted a person whom you just met.

"Young lad – ah, you have a name don't you? What is it?"

Sasuke smiled curtly and replied, "Naruto." It was the first name which crossed his mind.

"Naruto?" the speaker repeated questioningly. It was not a common name after all. If luck was against him, Uzumaki Naruto was really the _only_ Naruto in town and if his fake identity was uncovered, he was done for.

"Okay then, Naruto-kun! Welcome to the bet!"

He actually bought the lie.

"Now, I'll repeat the conditions, and you'll sign a contract and then we're good to begin. Is that clear?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Good. Rule number 1, there are 3 rounds in this bet. Once you've participated, there's no turning back," the speaker said, scratching his chin. "And your life is your own responsibility," he added thoughtfully.

How longsighted he was…

"Rule number 2, as mentioned, if you win, you get your share of money. If you lose, you lose nothing. Save for your pride… Rule number 3, you have no say in determining what challenges we assign you to do. And they must be completed within the time limit. Failing to do so, you lose the bet. Is that clear now?"

"Yes."

"And that's it! Aoi, the contract please."

Shadow loomed behind Sasuke; the ANBU was holding out a piece of paper crammed with miniscule writings and a pen. Sasuke pretended to nick the hairline of his bangs and bowed lower to read the contract. In truth, he was flashing his Sharingan, memorizing every character within a fraction of time and closing his eyes, searching for loops in the contract.

It was not easy to con him, not with his cautiousness at maximum level.

"So, are you happy with the agreement, Naruto-kun?"

Sasuke found no wrongs and proceeded to signing Naruto's name on it. He made sure to avoid any curls, swirls, and spring-like motives, just in case.

"Good, good… Aoi, if you may?"

Sasuke handed the contract back to the ANBU.

A pen clattered loudly on the linoleum floor as a piece of paper cascaded weightlessly onto the ground. Sasuke had his arms twisted back and his back pressed firmly into Aoi's front. The latter had even curled his left foot around Sasuke's left ankle. One clumsy move from the younger man and both would topple painfully onto the metal floor.

"Bastard… what do you think you're doing?" Sasuke hissed.

"I'm just doing my orders. You ought to prepare yourself too."

Sasuke gathered his body weight into his free right foot, aiming to throw the witless man towards the opposite end of the club. It was at that exact moment that one of the five rich men dug a finger below Sasuke's chin and lifted his head up. Bright light shone into his irises and he was forced to shut his eyes.

"Care to explain what is happening here?" he asked venomously.

The man stepped away. Sasuke glared at the jeering crowd and to his disgust, five leering men.

"Naruto-kun, since you're going to deal with us throughout the month, allow us to introduce ourselves," the speaker said lightly. He gestured to his chest and said, "I'm known around here as 'Ichi', and from the left to the right, 'Ni', 'San', 'Yon' and 'Go', all in that order."

Sasuke scoffed, "Heh, easy enough to remember, Ichi."

"See, we're getting along fine!"

Ichi was referring to Sasuke dropping the suffix on his first conversation. To the older man, it meant closeness. To Sasuke though, it simply meant insolence. If they thought they could roughen him up before they send him on missions, they were wrong.

"Get off me," Sasuke said to Aoi who was still firmly attached to him. "Shouldn't you show some respect to your volunteer?"

Aoi nuzzled closer into the crook of Sasuke's neck, much to the latter's dismay. "You're not counted as a volunteer, Naruto. You're getting paid for. Also," he kissed playfully on Sasuke's clothed shoulder, "what do you expect from this anyway?" and he chuckled into his mop of black hair.

Sasuke could not deny it; he was freaked out by the entire weird circumstances.

"It's not funny anymore," he argued heatedly. "Let go."

Suddenly, as if his ears were beginning to function again, Ichi boomed, "Okay, we'll start by testing Naruto-kun's level of –" the man allowed a sick smirk to grace his lips before saying, "– sensitivity."

Aoi nodded. Sasuke did not understand the order.

And then, he did.

One of Aoi's hands released his arms to grope at his buttock. Sasuke was thoroughly shocked and he gasped audibly, much to the excitement of the audience. He started thrashing in Aoi's grasp but froze immediately when the ANBU tugged at his collar with his teeth. Sasuke turned away at the coldness of bare skin exposed to the dingy bar. Aoi hooked a finger at the edge of the collar and tug them down to Sasuke's pale shoulder. Leaving kisses from the base of his neck down to his collarbone, his hand holding Sasuke's hip to keep him in place. The hand then dislodged itself and slipped into his shirt, creeping upwards; the fabric hiding its journey up Sasuke's torso from the crowd's view. The cold finger dug into his navel before rising upwards, scratching lightly all the way. Sasuke screwed his eyes; he did not like being touched that way. Aoi had purposefully lingered on his stomach, rubbing circles and littering the skin with caresses which made goose bumps appeared.

"Your heart is beating very fast," the ANBU whispered into Sasuke's ear. His palm was splayed across Sasuke's chest, pushing the body closer to his. Sasuke could already feel the tingle left on his upper torso as Aoi's little finger rubbed carelessly on the teen's right areole. Whether it was on purpose or not, Sasuke could not tell, not that he wanted to know.

"How is it, Aoi?"

"Well, we'll have to see for sure eh, Ichi-sama?"

Ruthlessly, Aoi tugged at Sasuke's bent arms so harsh that his spine arched outwards, sending Sasuke's head resting forcefully against the other man's shoulder. Two subtle tickling tottering on the brink of itchiness – no, a sensation so peculiar he could not describe – erupted on his chest when his shirt brushed on their tips.

"Oh, that's interesting to know," Ni commented.

Aoi smoothed the disarrayed shirt and two pert nipples stood shamelessly from beneath the fabric. Sasuke gritted his teeth. Everyone was going to see.

"I assure you, his shirt isn't very thin. And I hadn't touched him at the proper places…"

"Bastard…"

Aoi eased Sasuke's body into a more comfortable pose. Sasuke was beginning to become restless; he wanted to nurse the "itchiness" on his chest away. Scratching, rubbing, anything he could do to satiate his uneasiness.

"Also, gentlemen, allow me to check below."

"Check?" Sasuke asked uncertainly.

The next thing he knew, Aoi had clamped his fist on Sasuke's crotch and squeezed the flesh there, extracting a yelp of pain from the young lad. There was a poof of smoke and Aoi let go out of reflex. As it cleared, the crowd, the five businessmen and Aoi went mum.

A young teen no older than 16 was on his knees; holding onto the hem of his shorts as he tried to disguise his wince.

"What in the world –?"

Sasuke's eyes widened as realisation hit him. He had released his Henge no jutsu accidentally.

His lower region still hurt. Curse Aoi for applying such force onto a man's weakness. And he had the balls to stand here, watching Sasuke recompose himself? When he recovered, he would beat the stuffing out of Aoi…

"You, boy!" San exclaimed, pointing rudely to Sasuke. "How old are you?"

The teen merely glared again. "16."

Ichi smacked his forehead while the mass complained. So they finally found out that Sasuke was underage. Was he disqualified now?

"Damn boy, why the hell are you participating if you're not old enough to enter the bar?"

Sasuke stood up and pulled his collar back into place. "That is my business, old man. I've signed the contract haven't I?"

That was true. In the eyes of laws, Sasuke had rightfully participated in the bet and since he had to abide by the rules, there was no providence for him to forfeit the round. Underage or not, it was Sasuke's name written on the contract –

Or not.

Aoi fisted Sasuke's collar and pulled him dangerously close to his face. Snarling, he asked, "You're not Naruto are you? I've seen your face in the office." Aoi's forehead creased. "You're an Uchiha."

Blood red irises bled into Sasuke's eyes. The kekkei genkai of the Uchiha clan – if that was what the ANBU was seeking, he had gotten it.

Aoi released Sasuke's shirt. His visage smoothened considerably and he assumed an expressionless one, "Leave this place at once."

"What?"

"Leave. And never come back."

All eyes were on them. Aoi looked at Sasuke coldly as he shifted aside to allow the teen to walk himself out of the bar.

"I'm not backing out of the bet. You can twist it in any way you like – it was me who signed the contract."

"You're not Naruto."

Sasuke could not help grinning sardonically at this. "So you want an actual Naruto to replace me? Even though it's against his will?"

"Enough Aoi, boy."

San had seized the microphone from the counter and was talking through the loudspeaker. He cleared his throat and addressed the crowd instead, "We're extremely sorry for this happening. At the moment, we cannot say anything for sure, but the boy can decide for himself we think. What is your decision, _Uchiha Sasuke_?"

So his name as one of the last two remnants of the dead clan was known to all…

"I'm in."

Aoi's fists tightened by his side. Sasuke could feel the hating aura accumulating behind his back but he paid no heed to it. He was here to win the money.

"So uh, back to the initial price value. It was 5 000 gold before. Now, it is… 7 500 pieces!"

The rowdy crowd came back to cheering. With the mood reinstated, Sasuke could breathe a little more easily. Hopefully they would forget the fact that he was only 16.

"So, shall I reveal the all so important item for the first round?"

San dug deeply into his pocket and fished a rod as thick as his little finger which was connected to a fine wire; Sasuke could see it with his refined eyesight. Judging by the noise everyone was making, it was something of big importance but he failed to comprehend what was so exhilarating about that tiny object.

"It's a custom made vibrator," Aoi said stiffly, as if he was able to read Sasuke's mind.

"What can a small thing like that do for this round?"

Aoi pressed on seriously, "It isn't that tiny once it's up your ass, Sasuke."

It was really confusing…

"I've warned you. You should've walked out the door when you had the chance. This isn't the place for people like you."

Was that subtle pity laced in his voice?


	2. Endurance

A vibrator… which would do exactly _what_?

Sasuke had lived alone. He surrounded himself with friends off the same age like Naruto, Sakura and the rest of Rookie 9 and as far as he knew, they knew nothing of anything perverted. His parents would have been a little bit relieved that their younger son had chosen his companions well. Even in school, Iruka had thought them the most basic concepts of sex during their periods of sex education. He knew where people should never touch him and what to do when he was being violated.

And by violated, he meant non-consensual… _touching._

He had readily accepted the bet and he was tied to the rules. Naturally, he would have to allow the people involved to make physical contacts. If they were only going to hug, kiss and maul over his body, he would not mind. At least it was not hurting him bodily.

Did it scar him psychologically? Dear Itachi had already done that to begin with.

He made a mental note to drop by the local bookstore and cart home all the books about petting and homosexual love though the storekeeper might look at him strangely and alert the shinobi council. Did he have to use Henge on himself again?

"Folks, are you interested to know what Sasuke-kun should do with this?" San blared into the microphone.

Sasuke would like to know too. He turned his back onto Aoi and feigned disinterest at the speaker. By right, he _should _know what a vibrator does, yet he did not; it must have raised suspicions among the organizers.

"The challenge is," San began with a malevolent glint in his narrow eyes, "to have this switched on for 24 hours straight, without pausing halfway through."

And the crowd went mad. Sasuke's head snapped to their direction. He was beginning to get a little worried; they were watching him hungrily with eyes like a predator, completely fixated on the lower region of his body. Sasuke shuffled uncomfortably on the floor, his hands twitching in the pockets subconsciously.

What was he going to do?

"Sasuke-kun?"

If the commoners did anything unpleasant to him, he swore he would castrate all of them clean.

"Sasuke-kun!"

He looked up immediately and blurted, "What?"

San was beckoning him to come nearer. The teen obeyed, instructing his lead-like limbs to move towards the stage where the older man was talking from. Aoi followed him with an expression of a hawk preying upon a stray duckling. Sasuke carefully ignored the man and proceeded to take his place beside San.

"Sasuke-kun, we will have Aoi tailing you for the rest of the 24 hours. It's not that we don't trust you," San added hastily at Sasuke's fierce eyes. "It's the procedure. He will ensure your safety since you'll be quite… _vulnerable_ throughout the whole day and of course, at the same time he will make sure you keep this baby intact until the time limit is exhausted."

Sasuke nodded, watching Aoi shifting a casual wooden bar table onto the centre stage.

"So it's okay with you. We shall begin Round 1."

San walked behind Sasuke and pushed the younger male by the small of his back, forcing him to lean forward on the table before them. Sasuke allowed himself to be manhandled like that in front of a lot of people and swallowed his pride when San held his thighs and pushed them apart. Sasuke gripped the corners of the table to gain balance and tried to ignore the close intimacy he shared with the bulky form.

A rough hand fumbled around the front of his shorts, searching frantically for the zip. Sasuke averted his gaze from the crowd out of embarrassment – he could not believe that he was going to bare his all in front of so many strangers. San was sneaky; his thumb purposefully brushed against the small lump concealed beneath two layers of articles while he tugged at the zip.

Sasuke felt steam emitting from his forehead…

Finally, his shorts were undone and San slid them down to his knees, leaving Sasuke in his underwear.

"Sasuke-kun, I don't think you'll need to wear this," San said, a finger pulling the rubbery hem of the briefs from his waist before letting it snap on Sasuke's skin. "It'll be less troublesome if you go commando this month."

No way was he going to do that. That was unethical and would feel somewhat awkward.

With that, San removed the article and allowed it to pool around the teen's knees. Sasuke picked up fox calls from in front. Nasty men…

"Watch where you're touching!" Sasuke yelled when he felt callous palms caressing his naked buttocks.

"Manners, Sasuke-kun," San reminded. He then persuaded Sasuke to part his legs further by kicking lightly as the latter's shoes before pulling the cheeks apart with his own hands. A deep blush painted the younger boy's face.

No one was supposed to see that. It was highly humiliating.

"What are you doing?" he asked shakily. "I thought you were going to start Round 1 immediately."

Sasuke did not consent to parade himself in front of the audience. He definitely did not want San to look at him _there._

"Patience, boy. This is necessary after all."

Aoi snorted. Sasuke heard him loud and clear and clicked his tongue. Keeping his mouth firmly shut, he gripped the table harder and said nothing more.

"Sasuke-kun, mind if you keep them apart for me?"

"WHAT?"

How could the man chuckle at such terrible situation?

"I said, would you mind holding them in place for a minute?"

If it was possible, his face was on fire by now. Slowly, Sasuke released his death grip on the wood and moved towards his buttocks, grabbing a cheek each in pale, cold hands.

"I can't see it properly. Pull them wider."

That man was despicable. Sasuke's act was even more despicable. His hands were positively shaking as he felt San's horny gaze on his hole.

"Damn… get it done already…"

And then, he felt a warm, stubby stick invading him. It was as if a plug was inserted and the feeling was far from soothing. Sasuke's muscles clamped down hard of the foreign object and he flinched at the warmth of the object. It wriggled a bit, urging the muscles to relax. Sasuke would never allow that. He wanted that _thing_ out.

"What are you thinking, Sasuke-kun?" San spat almost silently by his ear.

Sasuke replied with dead honesty, "I don't like what you're doing. Stop it this instant."

"No you can't. You're bound by the rules of the bet."

And San thrust his stubby finger deeper by a section into Sasuke. The latter almost gagged on his tongue – he was about to utter strings of expletives at the old man. San was practically sawing his inner skin away as he pushed and pulled with force since Sasuke would not allow free entry. As the pain intensified, he had no choice but to relax and open the canal for the man's finger to explore.

"There, isn't it easier to comply in the first place?"

Then, San's free hand came to rest on the flat region right below his navel. Half lifting Sasuke up, San removed his finger and reached for the vibrator.

_Tsk, so it's going in there…_

Swiftly, San pushed the rod into Sasuke's hole. It slipped in easily and when it disappeared from view, Sasuke released his hold on his butt cheeks. There was a significant odd sensation there. He heard the sound of duct tape being unrolled and the next thing he knew, a black box was secured neatly on his outer thigh.

"Stand straight," San commanded.

Gingerly, Sasuke straightened up, adjusting his body to the new feeling in his bottom. It would make moving difficult but if he had to keep this up for 24 hours, he would pass with ease.

"And then, we turn on the switch."

Something rattled within, rubbing against the walls. Sasuke frowned. Was that the vibrator?

"To remove all handicaps, we shall set it to the highest level."

When the last syllable left his lips, vigorous movements racked his anus. His lower part churned and he faltered in his stand. Wrong movement; his legs shook and he dropped to his knees, his hand holding the edge of the table for more support. It was bad… it was more than bad… how should he walk back home?

"San-sama, isn't it too much for a kid to handle?"

Sasuke turned a little to face Aoi. San was stern in his visage when he argued that the vibrator's speed would be kept the way it was. He expected Aoi to laugh his heart out at how wretched Sasuke look on the stage but the man showed no such indications. If anything, Aoi was more sullen than ever.

"That's enough nonsense, Aoi. The boy will have to take it. It's on papers and he signed it. Now can we move on?"

Not waiting for a response, San switched the microphone on and ignoring Sasuke's condition, he spoke, "Okay, we know that a shinobi is made of stone. Their hearts are that off diamonds, beautifully solid, not chipped on abrasions. So shall we add one more difficulty to this round?"

Sasuke rested his forehead on the table. He heard that San was going to add something more to this round. There better be more gold pieces to the reward.

"A cock ring!"

Sasuke's eyes snapped open. What exactly was _that_? Instinctively, he shot a questioning look at Aoi. Much to his disappointment, Aoi merely shook his head weakly and pulled his lips thinner.

San knelt in front Sasuke to bring himself to the latter's eye level. He smiled kindly, "One more item to add on. We'll up the stake, so don't worry."

San stretched the rubbery band and held it closer to Sasuke's crotch. The teen could guess where that new _thing _was going to be placed and when San held his limp member between his thumb and his index finger, Sasuke tightened his grasp on the table.

He did not like being touched there either. He had never touched himself there on purpose even, save in bath, and the idea of Aoi looking over San's shoulder as the old man eased the loop around the girth was abnormally disturbing. When San let the ring clung onto his manhood, he flicked his thumb over the slit. The younger man gritted his teeth; his penis was getting number by the second.

"It can harm you if the ring is kept on for too long. Aoi will monitor you. You can lose it anytime you want, but if you keep it on for more than 2 hours, we'll not subtract 500 gold pieces from your reward."

Sasuke was busy taking in breaths through his mouth. He heard enough to know that the numbness was going to be there for a couple of hours more.

"Gentlemen, the stake is upped to… 10 500 gold pieces! That is how much Sasuke will earn if he wins this round!"

Notes after notes littered on the table Sasuke was adhering to. So much money… Majority of the players betted on Sasuke losing. He could not be bothered; all he had to do was keep that vibrator embedded in him for one damn day and that 10 500 pieces of gold would be his. That would fetch him enough money to cover several years' worth of expenses.

_For you Itachi…_

Sasuke pushed himself up, using the table as leverage. He took one step at a time, slowly adapting to the whirring vibrator. By the third step, he was ready to fall over but caught himself just in time. He would not forgive himself for falling flat on his face in front of Aoi.

Aoi actually was already waiting for him by the main entrance.

"What are you going to do after this?" he asked icily.

Sasuke wobbled past, not making eye contact with the other man. But he did reply his question, "Groceries and training. Then I'll be going back home."

Aoi snapped, "Groceries? _Training? _You expect to _move_ an inch without that pathetic expression on your face? You're going to mingle with people in that condition?"

Sasuke lost his temper and stopped, keeping his legs further apart than he usually would. "Shut up. Why are you so worked up? I have my duties to complete as a shinobi. You're one too, aren't you?"

"I think a complete amateur like you will do best hiding in your room."

"That's what a coward will do," Sasuke retorted. He concentrated chakra on his feet and projected himself forward. The least he could do right now was to put as much distance as he could between Aoi and himself. He did not need more irritation.

Truthfully, he was not sure if he could get used to the weird feeling at all.

If he remembered correctly, the length of that rod was not as impressive, but it took a totally different dimension when it was, as Aoi said, deep inside him. When he moved his feet, the rod moved slightly as well, massaging the muscles. At first it was just utterly disturbing. It messed up with his coordination. Now it felt different. It felt as if it was rubbing against something it should be rubbing, something that would send Sasuke up to heaven of blissfulness, but it did not. It was a little bit frustrating, Sasuke thought. Since he was going to suffer for the whole day for not being able to move properly, at least he should feel gratified by _something_. The vibrator _almost_ provided him that, but it painfully did not.

So he darted forward on his chakra enhanced feet, hoping that the energetic action would drive the rod to the spot which would make him feel complete.

He felt so stupid…

Sasuke leapt from one roof to another, each leap more forceful than the previous one. When he passed by a water tank, he stretched his left leg at a slightly different angle and a slight jolt of electricity ran up his lower abdomen. He landed clumsily on the tiles, pressing his thighs closer unconsciously. Another jolt shot up his body.

Aoi came to him a second later, watching the younger boy collecting his guardedness. He sighed as he parked himself beside Sasuke.

"I told you to quit because I know you know nothing about this business."

Aoi gave a once over at Sasuke. Convinced that the boy was still holding up fine, Aoi continued, "Ichi-sama wanted to check your sensitivity level to determine how much you're worth. The more sensitive you are, the higher your reward will be."

And Sasuke thought Ichi was having plain dirty thoughts about youths like him.

"But you came out of your Henge and he was forced to increase the money anyway. I'm astounded by your determination though. Seems like you need quick money in a short period of time."

"Mind your own business."

The man was delving too deep for Sasuke's liking.

"Can't do that, not when I know you're not going to last long. You can pretend all you want, but the truth is staring at all of us."

Sasuke turned to him. "What truth?" he enquired bluntly.

"That you're a virgin."

Dusty breeze swept the floor they were standing on. When it died and Sasuke could hear the drone in his mind, he turned his heels somewhat unsteadily. "I'm leaving."

"You can't put on that tough guy mask forever, Sasuke!"

Aoi marched forward agitatedly. Some people could be so stupid.

"I felt it. Your body is so innocent to touches! You can't control your reactions so you can't lie through it!"

"Yeah? Well I thought you've proven to those dirty old men how responsive I was to your molestations."

"Don't kid me!" Aoi barked, half laughingly. There was no mirth in it, just bare bitterness. "You were distressed, Sasuke! Not aroused!"

_Not aroused…_

Aoi's verdict came as comfort. Sasuke was surprised. The angry sentence actually pacified his roiling soul. He had not submitted to Aoi's doings. Even his inner mind dictated his body that he was not condoning them. So he was cleaner than he thought. Good, good…

Sasuke hunched, his fingers curled up unnaturally stiffly. Even from behind, Aoi discerned ragged breaths as he counted the erratic tempo of the rise and fall of Sasuke's back. It had only been 20 minutes – had the boy reached his limits already?

"Hey, are you okay?"

Sasuke stood his ground, closing his eyes for a short while.

"Yeah…" he breathed. "It's getting deeper…"

"You moved too much."

This time, even without moving, the vibrator had successfully rubbed against where Sasuke wanted. It felt like it was just the edge of the excitation; Sasuke just knew with his guts that the stimulation could send him soar higher. As much as he wanted to experiment with that sensation, he did not want to lose his sanity in public. Even if it was going to be pleasurable, that could wait until he was safely locked in his bathroom.

"How long…"

"Only half an hour had passed."

Sasuke regretted propelling himself on the roofs just now. If the vibrator had stayed put in its original position, he need not feel this restless.

"Damn… that's a long way to go…"

"Yes it is."

Sasuke reopened his eyes and looked at Aoi. "I'm just wondering. Can I block the tenketsu which induces euphoria and hyperventilation?"

He could guess Aoi's answer – he just wanted a confirmation. And true enough, Aoi said doing so was considered cheating and his presence was to prevent that from happening.

Sasuke was going to lose.

"It's about your willpower. Don't give in and don't think too much about it."

If that was the best advice Aoi could give, Sasuke would happily chuck it back into his sorry face.

"You try doing your best ignoring something shaking inside your ass…"

Sasuke was ready to carry on his walk to the grocery shop. First tiny step, second tiny step…

"Ghh –"

He tripped on his foot, his body making its way towards gravity when Aoi broke the fall by grabbing his elbow. Pulling Sasuke back to standing properly on his feet, Aoi studied Sasuke's face. He was sweating a lot and it was not out of Konoha's temperature. He still had not caught his breath which was weird for someone with an Uchiha's stamina. But most importantly, his hand kept inching fleetingly towards his groin area.

"Sasuke?"

"It's uncomfortable…"

Things like that could be dismissed easily but not when the speaker was saying it so softly as if he was going to fade away anytime soon.

"Where is?"

The teen breathed in deeply before nodding downwards. Aoi trailed his eyes down and saw the growing bulge inside his shorts.

"Is it painful?"

He was supposed to keep tract of the timing. San had told him so.

Sasuke shook his head once. Aoi allowed him to gain composure. They could not be standing here forever, basking under the sun. And did Sasuke not say about his chores?

"You have to do some shopping I believe?"

Sasuke understood; it was time to depart. So he eased himself out of Aoi's grasp, cleared his head of the thickening haze and jumped off the roof. There was a shop downstairs. The price was a little higher than the other one few blocks away but right now, Sasuke would not mind paying extra. He just had to get his groceries done with.

--

Sasuke ambled down the racks of milk and cereals, paying absolutely no attention to the price tags. The vibrator was clearly doing its thing. His neurons posted fiery impulses to his manhood each second – he could feel it growing inside his briefs. When a group of housewives walked past him with a trolley, he had to turn to the shelves to hide his erection. Looking into his reflection at the many aluminium pieces lining the wall of the cold storage area, he realised how red his face was.

People would think he was actually drunk.

To hell with dinner then. He chucked a couple of apples and potatoes into his basket and reached for a pack of peaches. That was when a huge cart of watermelons rolled past him. The mount of fruits blocked the view of the department assistant who was steering the wheels and she inadvertently knocked into Sasuke. The teen, caught by surprise (he was busy willing the pulsations in his member to go away) bumped into heaps of lemons. Sasuke groaned loudly; the chilly fruits pressing into his erection.

And the peaches he was holding crushed pitifully in his hands.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry young mister! Are you okay?" the assistant asked, tottering closer to the blood-red Sasuke.

"I'm fine," he wheezed.

"Are you sure?"

Too pushy.

"Dead sure," he growled, picking his shopping basket and left immediately for the counter.

The peaches lay forgotten. And he was not going to have eggs for the rest of the week due to his… _inability _to purchase fragile foodstuff. Once out of the store, he exhaled gratefully and impelled himself upwards to the roofs. Up here, no common citizens could reach him, see him or even _bump_ into him. He would be safer here, a _lot _safer.

"Sasuke," a voice greeted.

Sasuke took his words back - safer save from the reach of Aoi.

"Hn, still here?" the teen acknowledged.

"I told you, I'll be following you until the round ends."

Sasuke swirled about and prepared to jump to the next roof. Bending his knee a fraction, he said, "Fine. Do as you wish."

And he was gone.

Aoi did not hassle to follow. He knew he would spot the youth somewhere on the next roof… and there he was, spent, on his knees.

"Damn," Sasuke cursed, beads of sweat dripped onto the floor. He had foolishly forced the vibrator inner and it would not budge to its previous location no matter how much Sasuke contracted his muscles. In fact, the more he did that, the hotter his nether region became.

Now he felt stuck. No, he should say, both front and back felt stuck.

"You need release?"

Sasuke blinked, not getting what Aoi meant. He clutched at his lower abdomen since it was where all the uncalled stirrings originated. It felt as if something was squirming in there and they sent fire down to his member.

"I – don't understand you…"

"Tsk, I meant, do you want me to remove that cock ring so that you can ease yourself?"

"Ease?"

He did not need to empty his bladder…

"I don't need to go to the toilet."

Aoi sighed with impatience. The prodigy sure was a complete idiot when it came to this aspect.

"Not that kind of release, Sasuke."

To get his point across, he knelt down like Sasuke and placed his palm wide open at the base of his spine. He had to do something radical.

"It's _this _kind of release."

He palmed Sasuke's erection from the outside of the fabric, relishing in his innocence. To Aoi's shock, Sasuke had not gone rigid to the maximum. He started to fondle it lightly, earning a soft cry from Sasuke.

"Ahn – idiot, what are you doing? It's getting hotter!"

"It has been 1 hour and 15 minutes and you're only this hard? It's kind of impossible for an amateur like you. Most of them will lose it within the first half an hour."

"Probably because I have higher tolerance. Now get off!"

Aoi held Sasuke closer. When he felt the latter's hot breath on his neck, he deemed it extremely dangerous – he could have taken Sasuke there and then. So he ordered, "Turn over to the other side. Your head I mean."

Idiotic order…

"Look," Aoi resumed talking once Sasuke was looking into the sky instead into his Adam's apple. "It's impossible for you to walk or stand in this condition. Not without letting it all out. You keep this on and you'll be in serious trouble young man."

"But I have 45 minutes to go…" the teen challenged, struggling to keep his voice steady as Aoi's hand shifted on his groin.

"Yeah, and once that 45 minutes is over, you're going to stay impotent forever."

Sasuke should not have lasted this long, Aoi mused. The reason was either one of these two; he lacked sexual desire or San had _intended_ for him to last this long. The aforementioned was ridiculous. An impotent 16-year-old teen? He should be raging with hormones… As for the latter – considering how so many people bet on Sasuke's defeat, the five men would put their money on the opposite outcome. For that to happen, San would have to make sure the vibrator was not hitting Sasuke in all the right spots so quickly.

The plan would have worked if Sasuke had stayed quietly at home like a statue but with his active schedule, it was all in vain.

"Sasuke, listen to me. I'm advising you to lose the ring. That's more important than some meager 500 gold."

To Aoi, the sum was frugal. To Sasuke, it was a lot.

"You're not going to go anywhere further than 100 meter from here. You're _unable _to. I'll show you your actual condition if you don't believe me."

He pulled the zip down with ease. Sasuke did not resist and Aoi assumed Sasuke wanted to see how he looked like down there. So he pulled the briefs down and fished out the hardened penis out from its confinement. Upon seeing it, Sasuke was awestruck.

"You want to hop around with this in your pants?"

The ring was holding it back. Even as they spoke, more heat accumulated in his member. Sasuke did not know what to do.

"Lose the ring Sasuke," Aoi whispered. "Then, I'll help you ease your sufferings."


	3. A Moment's Peace, Not

45 minutes more…

500 gold at risk…

But the desperation pooling in his manhood was impossible to be disregarded.

Sasuke swallowed thickly and rested his head against Aoi's shoulder. At their current proximity, he could hear the echoes from the furious beating of his heart. If he did not end this problem soon, he would go down with a myocardial infarction, no problem. With his beet red face hidden from the other man's view, he nodded meekly and said, "Remove it."

Aoi closed an arm over Sasuke's back.

"Okay."

He lowered his hand again, reaching for the base of Sasuke's twitching member. Stretching the rubber band, he eased it away and threw it into a bin nearby the staircase. Sasuke's breathing got heavier and his clench on Aoi's ANBU uniform tightened considerably. The swollen member sprung up to gain attention now that it was free from any constrictions. Blood flooded the region and Sasuke began to feel double the odd sensation.

"Aoi… this feeling… how do you describe it?" the teen huffed out of curiosity.

"_You'll_ tell me later."

Keeping his promise to teach Sasuke how to achieve release, Aoi tangled his fingers in the sparse pubic hair. The teen stiffened, unacquainted to a foreign heat near his private areas. The older man held him tighter by the shoulders as if reassuring Sasuke that he was not going to harm the boy. When Sasuke started breathing, Aoi took it as a permission to venture lower and his index finger stroked the underside of the member from the base towards its tip. When he gripped the shaft with his gloved hand, Sasuke bit into the shoulder before his mouth to keep himself shut. Everything Aoi did make him want to squeak, yet his pride forbade him from making any embarrassing noises. Aoi then began to pump, rough leather providing all the friction Sasuke so dreadfully needed. Sasuke leaned further into Aoi's chest. He was close… the _pleasure _was undefined! The heat intensified, his knees weakened and with a final squeeze, Sasuke was pushed off his end and he muffled his scream by chewing his own knuckles.

They both stayed like that for a minute, giving each other a chance to catch their breaths and calm their minds. Aoi wanted to throw his glove away now that it was soiled but decided to do that behind Sasuke's back so as not to be too rude. Sasuke meanwhile was gathering his energy after the very first ejaculation he had in his life.

"_Ah…hah…"_

Sasuke was so vulnerable. In his half-dazed mind, if Aoi were to force himself onto the teen, he would be Aoi's. The arm on Sasuke's back lowered to his waist. The opportunity would not come along after this. Should Aoi take it? Sasuke was practically offering himself!

"Sasuke… don't tell me you're a virgin in the front too?"

He got no reply. Aoi took it as a yes.

This Uchiha sure got some nerves to take on an erotic bet without having first hand experience at sex, heck even masturbation. Someone should be teaching the boy all the necessities but teenagers of that age should already be tainted. Dirty jokes from neighbours, dirty stories from peers, dirty thoughts after looking at pretty girls… all those are instincts, already implanted naturally in a man's soul. How could Sasuke not _know_?

Sighing, Aoi took the fold of Sasuke's fallen pants and wrapped it up around the boy's hip. He zipped it up and scooted away from the distraught teen on his knees.

"Well, I must say this again, I salute you for taking on this challenge."

Worthless speech…

"Come on," Sasuke muttered, buttoning his shorts and smoothening the unsightly creases. "I've got training with my team members at Ground 5."

He heaved himself up to retrieve the forgotten basket of fruits. His house was around the corner, thank goodness and somehow, his senses were dulled somewhat after his "session" minutes back. It would be smart to take advantage over this biological occurrence. This might probably be the only moment's peace he would get for the rest of the afternoon.

Then he heard a soft, deliberate cough.

"What?" Sasuke uttered with irritation.

"Uh, you want me to follow you home or should I meet you at Ground 5?"

Sasuke turned to Aoi. Did San not instruct him to stick to Sasuke like a magnet? Why ask the unnecessary question? Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke said curtly, "Do whatever you want."

He had no intention to cheat after all. Aoi could go wherever he wanted for as far as he was concerned.

--

Home had never been so inviting. Stashing his purchase on the kitchen counter, Sasuke turned on the tap and let cold water gushed out into the draining hole. Apparently he wanted to wash neither his hands nor his fruits – he just watched the water swirled before it disappeared. Sasuke's finger twitched again. He was gaining feelings and he had only gotten home. Firing a curse beneath his breath, he switched the tap off and hurried to change his clothing.

San said he would do better if he went commando for this entire month.

Damn straight he would.

He bent down to slip into his freshly ironed shorts and gasped when the vibrator poked him at the spot again. It was momentary before the rod slipped out by a fraction and continued whining against numb muscles. He remembered what his manhood would turn into if the sensation prolonged. So he peeked down and to his horror, white sticky substances coated the head of his penis. Souvenir from his previous masturbation with Aoi… Sasuke removed his shirt and made his way to the tub. But before he could take a step further, he slithered towards the floor with his hand clamped on his mouth. He opened his legs, hoping the cold air would kill the growing erection. Could he pull the vibrator out a bit? It was too in… But that would be cheating wouldn't it? Ah, Iruka said something about morning woods in his sex education lesson. He said cold water would do the trick. Sasuke would do anything to ease the tension in his penis. Quickly, he zipped into the shower, turned on the water and waited.

He tilted his head back, letting his bangs curtained his visage as he counted the hours he needed to spend with the _thing _inside his canal. For the money… for Itachi…

"I'll kill you for this…"

Meanwhile, a lone silhouette escaped the balcony of Sasuke's apartment. Aoi took in generous amount of oxygen as he cleared his brain from the steamy panorama Sasuke had provided. When the teen half-laid against the border of the door to his bathroom, Aoi's eyes wandered from the blushes peppering the cheeks to his half-opened mouth which was desperately drawing air in short breaths. Then he stalked lower to the pinkish nipples; past memories made him regret the day he could have teased –

"Shit, what am I thinking?"

Aoi stood up, gave his head a good knock and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Damn, I'm screwed…"

--

Sasuke found himself jogging breathlessly towards the rendezvous point with Team 7. He had stalled too much in the bathroom that by the time he realised he should be going, he had no time for a quick wash and had ran off in the very same attire, minus the pants. After five minutes of jogging, he slowed his pace and walked at snail pace to the bridge.

The disturbance was hitting him in full blow.

Aoi had not made his appearance in his house so Sasuke wondered if he would see the man again on Ground 5. Being an ANBU, Aoi would be flawless in hiding his presence. That would be for everyone's best; his teacher was an ex-ANBU himself. Sasuke refused to allow everybody to know he had an odd masked elite shinobi trailing after him.

He was early. There was nobody at the bridge, not even the early bird Haruno Sakura. And he thought he was late. If he had known, he would have chanced a quick bath. Damn it all… As temper rose high, Sasuke rested his arms on the railings and slouched against it. He had parted his legs again; the vibrator seemed to have entered a millimeter deeper. And he had to keep his lower body from contacting anything else for safety purposes; his manhood was turning hot again.

Barely two hours or so had passed…

"Sasuke! You're early today!"

He raised his head and took in the spiky blonde hair of Konoha's number one loudest ninja, Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto also happened to be his best friend in the village. Sasuke was indeed, a queer himself since nobody in their right mind would take a weirdo like that for a best buddy.

Sasuke left his sluggish pose and stood quite steadfastly as Naruto took a place beside him on the bridge. They both waited in silence for the other two members, the sun shooting its cruelest ray onto the young ninjas. Naruto had squatted on the bricks. Sasuke would have loved to do so but too bad, if he did that Naruto was bound to see the tent in his shorts. Carefully, he turned to face the river and watched the interference formed by the running current.

Aoi was not here was he?

Sasuke strained his ears and his nose, trying to pick up any traces of the ANBU. That was good… he caught neither the faintest noise nor scent. Even though he swore to himself he would not be cheating, considering the dire situation he was in he had to swallow his words. Feigning itchiness in his stomach, Sasuke congregated chakra in his thumb and brought it to his fifth rib.

"Tch –!"

A stray stone hit him squarely in his wrist, causing the chakra to disperse before Sasuke had the chance to hit his tenketsu. He rolled his eyes over the bushes and trees surrounding the bridge, searching for the ever alert Aoi. No doubt he was watching him and Naruto since the beginning.

"Sneaky bastard…"

"You say something, Sasuke?"

Naruto was looking curiously at his friend, his eyes reduced to the foxy slits again. The black haired teen shook his head, glaring into the bushes once more.

"Hey Sasuke, if you're baked under the sun you can always come sit under the tree. There's another free spot here," Naruto invited, patting the ground beside him.

"I'm fine as it is."

"You're all red in the face," Naruto said. But the voice was too loud… Sasuke looked to his left and there, grinning happily was Naruto's big face appearing out of nowhere over his shoulder. Out of reflex, Sasuke shoved the other teen out of his personal space and backed off a bit into the railings. The protruding wooden part poked his buttocks and a short series of electricity scorched his legs. Sasuke clenched his teeth as packages of heat warmed his manhood all of a sudden.

"Hey Sasuke…!"

Before Naruto could hold onto Sasuke's forearm for fear of the latter falling into the river, the taller teen had first extended his arm and stopped Naruto at arm's length. Flicking an irate black eye, he stated vehemently, "Don't. Come. Near."

He then dropped his hand to his side and turned back to the railings for support. Naruto tucked his arms behind his head and grumbled to the sky, "What's with that expression anyway? You don't have to act so scary."

"You aren't going to listen if I tell you nicely."

"I might if you'd tried."

POOF!

Hoary hair appeared and a man with crowfeet around his eyes waved lazily at the boys.

"Ah… sorry, sorry… I had something busy going on. Ground 5 was messed up a bit after yesterday's training…"

Kakashi trailed off when none of his students paid him attention. They must have been quarrelling. Boys – he knew something like that would happen when they were left to their own devices.

"Okay, then! Naruto, Sasuke, get ready. We're going to Ground 5 now. Sakura is waiting there."

With a loud "hmph" meant evidently for the raven haired teen, Naruto marched towards Kakashi before leaping towards the nearest tree branch and then, out of sight. Sasuke was going to take the walk easy. He just had to.

"Sasuke," Kakashi began. The teen halted in his tracks. "Are you running a fever?"

Sasuke was taken aback by the question. He was sweating profusely but that was because Kakashi had made them wait under the sweltering sun. If he was red in the face, it was also because of the heat. Yeah, the heat from the surrounding, plus the heat from you-know-where… Come to think of it, Naruto said the same thing too before Sasuke pushed the blonde away didn't he?

"No."

"Right…"

The Jonin was skeptical but if Sasuke _said_ he was fine, he would not fuss over the boy.

"Let's go," Sasuke muttered. He took off in Naruto's direction, his pace and movement a lot less energetic than usual. He purposely lagged a bit behind Kakashi and that was for a very valid reason; his bulge was quite apparent to anyone who paid attention to his crotch.

"Kakashi, what are we going to do at Ground 5?"

The Jonin let a second flew before replying, "Some training. You guys have been lazing a lot since our previous mission."

Sasuke snorted, "Which was yesterday."

"Yeah, yeah…" Kakashi said vaguely.

Two minutes into the travel, the gates forming the perimeter of the training grounds came into view. Sasuke had made it there safe. Now he had to worry about training normally in front of his team members for another two hours. He _hoped _the training would last two hours; Naruto had the tendency to lose count of time when he was busy throwing punches at the straw mannequins. And then there was Kakashi who would be dozing off within five minutes… and Sakura who had taken the liking of reducing large boulders into dust. In short, he was the sole dependable time keeper of Team 7.

"Guys, come here!" Kakashi called out from a patch of grass on the barren ground, flagging his hand towards Sakura and Naruto who were seeking refuge from the sun under a tree. Sasuke was standing moodily behind him, his hands in his pockets. That would make more creases in his shorts…

"Since we don't have missions to do today, let's move those lazy bones for a couple of hours and then we shall call it a day, okay?"

"Sensei," Sakura started; her hand waving enthusiastically in the air. "The facilities here are gone. What are we going to train with?"

Some bunch of rough shinobi must have started a war on the grounds. Not a blade of grass was left alive after their bout.

Kakashi smiled. "You will spar with each other."

"All right!" Naruto exclaimed, all geared up to meet his rival in a proper fight. He pointed his index finger at Sasuke who was looking as detached as ever, "You, Sasuke! Spar with me!"

It would be _pleasant _to push Naruto around if he was not under these awful circumstances. So mechanically, Sasuke said, "I'll pass this time. You can spar with Sakura."

And a hand came down onto his skull, ruffling his hair without his say-so. "Ya… you don't have much choice Sasuke. Spar with Naruto," Kakashi ordered lightly.

Dashed of all hopes for a silent retreat, Sasuke sulkily approached the eager Naruto. He weighed his chances. Ninjutsu was not an option since he could never mold his chakra properly with all the distractions in his lower section. He could execute some simple ones but he was quite certain that much chakra would go to waste. On the other hand, his array of Katon jutsu consumed large amount of chakra either. Naruto was a complete idiot when it came to Genjutsu but those skills required precise chakra control. Anything revolving around chakra was a no-no… so Sasuke was left with Taijutsu. Not a clever thing to do since Naruto would definitely perform his Kage Bunshin no jutsu. By the end of the day, even if he had enough stamina to deal with copious number of Naruto _and _the pulsations in his manhood, he would have to crawl back home.

He was a goner…

"Ready Sasuke?" Naruto asked, stepping into his battle stance.

He would see what his friend would do. Maybe then he would be able to come up with something.

"Yes," Sasuke said back, taking his hands out of the pockets.

"Here I come."

It started out easy. Reading Naruto's movements was effortless since he was operating at moderate speed. Regard it as a warm up rather than an insult; Naruto knew better than to take the Uchiha frivolously when they were in a match. Sasuke maneuvered his upper body flexibly, dodging the punches and occasionally jumping to the side so as not to meet Naruto's kicking legs.

But each jump meant a prod to the sensitive spot in his rectum.

Done with amateurish hits, the blonde dipped into his weapon pouch and flung shurikens into the air. They too were pitched lethargically and Sasuke almost laughed when he flipped his body around the swiveling stars. He threw his body weight around and lifted his left thigh as they swished past. The metals struck deep into a tree bark and Sasuke crouched on the floor like a feline. Only, he was finding it more difficult to hide his grimaces. His whole body felt like burning too. By the time Naruto graduated to a more aggressive stage, Sasuke was quite breathless. His stance was a little messy and his lands on firm ground were not as graceful. Sakura was standing and Kakashi for once was not reading his porn. Both were attentive to the fight before them.

"Sensei, something doesn't look right does it?" Sakura asked tentatively, her green orbs glued to the struggling ninja.

Kakashi too was fixated upon Sasuke.

The raven haired teen glanced at his teacher and the female kunoichi. Judging by their body language and puckered brows, they must have detected something amiss. Sasuke had to step up on his act.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

Here comes…

Knowing what Naruto would do, Sasuke would not permit an opening for his friend to perform his favourite combo, Naruto Rendan. That would be _painful._

Five Naruto all together, Sasuke counted. Not bad.

They came, hard and fast. At this rate, if he moved his legs as well, the vibrator would have drilled a hole through him. Sasuke kept his legs planted on the earth, his arms shielding his body from hits. He had no chance to be on the offending end. Naruto kept on pummeling with agility.

"What are you doing, Sasuke?" Naruto shouted, hoping to bring some sense back into his friend. "You want me to keep bashing you?"

Sasuke blocked the fierce punches, ignoring Naruto's words. The blonde continued, "Use your chakra, damn it!"

So even the dimwitted Naruto had noticed.

"Argh, Sasuke!" one of the Bunshins bellowed in infuriation. "You're underestimating us!"

The punches stopped suddenly. Sasuke braced himself for a more powerful punch but Naruto swept him clean at the calves. The taller teen lost his balance and would have hit the ground when another streak of yellow shadowed his form.

"You'll pay for this Sasuke," the Bunshin mocked.

And it sent a kick up Sasuke's pelvis. The force drove his body upwards into the sky and Sasuke swore. He had left his vigilance in the bin. That was it; this was where Naruto would kick him in multiple places before screwing him into the ground – the Naruto Rendan. Now where was he?

"Up here!"

A leg swung down heavily above him, the orange blur meeting his chest in a sickening thud. Sasuke had crossed his arms over his ribs in the nick of time or Naruto would have punctured his lungs with that aggravated attack. As Sasuke made his way down, he racked his brain for a way to break his fall. He had to break it. He had to.

"Don't think about it!"

A hand came to grip upon his baggy collar and tossed Sasuke into the ground. The acceleration spared him no time for a jutsu and Sasuke slammed hard into the rubbles. His hip hit the floor first and the fall had rammed the vibrator harshly into his anus where it dug deep into the accursed spot. Utmost pain and pleasure shot up his spine and into his manhood and Sasuke could not hold back his cry as his back arched at the wreckage he was dealt with. Blinded from the white sparks in his eyes, he flipped onto his side, bringing his knees to his chest and he felt the sick stickiness dripping out of his penis. His pants would be horribly stained! He did not wear anything else inside!

"Eat this Sasuke!"

He could not move… Naruto would kill him with that Rasengan…

He shut his eyes tight and let Fate do its job. He heard a faraway distress call from Sakura and then, thick dust churned in the air.

No more movements and vibrations in the atmosphere. The battle had stopped.

Sasuke opened his eyes and blinked in the confusion. He saw a sliver of silver in front of him and two stationary figures. Naruto's hand was caught deftly by Kakashi who had morphed out of nowhere between his students and by doing that, successfully putting a stop to Sasuke's untimely demise. Naruto seemed to be shocked himself. When he looked at Sasuke who lay panting on dirt, he lowered his arm and frowned.

"Why didn't you try dodging it? I could've killed you with that!"

Sasuke knew that bit well.

He hoisted his torso up but the jabbing in his member built up. Little shots of liquid escaped into the pants; he felt hot goo slid down his inner thighs. A moan slipped through his lips and he clutched at his sides, crossing over his lower abdomen.

"Sasuke?"

His legs were shaking. They would see it. They would notice.

Kakashi made to carry Sasuke and the teen snapped. "Don't touch me."

Naruto was as pale as ghost. He knelt on the ground, trying to lift Sasuke up to his feet. "Hey Sasuke, don't scare me like this! What's wrong with you?"

A single touch from anybody would have caused him to explode. He had to go away.

"Tsk, don't lay a finger on me Naruto!"

The blonde flinched. Sasuke had never used that tone even when they started cursing each other to the graves. He definitely had hurt Sasuke somewhere during the spar. Slowly, he retracted his hands since the black haired teen did not want him there. Naruto hung his head.

"Sorry."

Sasuke cracked his eyelids open. He had done it again. Naruto always said short words like that which cracked their friendship. Sometimes Sasuke felt like slapping the blonde hard across the face to make it clear that trivial conflict did not matter. They were friends.

"Idiot, don't do that face," Sasuke muttered.

"But you're –"

"This isn't your fault. Just – just –"

"All right!" Kakashi chipped a tad too cheerfully, clapping his hands twice as he said so. "We're leaving!"

That was the worst thing a teacher could say when a student was in agony, but to Sasuke, that was exactly what he wanted to hear.

"What? Leaving?" Sakura shrieked. The Jonin had obviously lost his mind. "We'll leave Sasuke-kun like _this?_"

"That's right!"

"Don't be joking, Kakashi-sensei!"

The grey haired man's expression dimmed and a hint of somberness crept upon his face. With an air of a very patient old man, he said, "You guys don't have to worry. There's already someone watching over Sasuke."

He turned to the right and raised his voice a level. "Am I right, the ninja perched on the topmost branch at three o'clock?"

All three young teens followed Kakashi's eyes and into a rather ancient fruitless tree. The foliages rustled and an unknown outline slid onto the ground. Naruto and Sakura could not make out the person's face as it was hidden by a white porcelain mask.

Sasuke knew immediately that Aoi's cover was busted. Though, he was too busy stopping the cum from shooting liberally in his pants.

"Heh, you got me… Kakashi-san."


	4. A Discovery and a New Misery

Kakashi surveyed the newcomer. Even though the mask hid his face, Kakashi knew it was still possible to unravel the identity of this mysterious ANBU. The Elders had taken him too lightly and that was what amazed Kakashi the most. He was not dumb; he knew that Sasuke was being followed by ANBU since the massacre. He almost committed the crime of physically harming one some years back when he spotted a suspicious profile lurking outside of Sasuke's window. Of course, when he was about to deal a finishing blow at the astonished ninja, he was hauled away by the ANBU's colleague and was later given an earful by the Hokage. Back then, Sarutobi-sama had even explained the need to keep Sasuke under surveillance but should the teen be subjected to the same treatment now that he was older? Nobody cared about Sasuke's rights as a free citizen of Konoha.

And currently, here stood another high blood pressure inducing man.

"Do I know you?" Kakashi enquired unemotionally. The mask was new even to Kakashi and a quick whiff told him that the guy was not one of those idiots he had caught before. The ANBU halted several meters away, clearly being uncomfortable when he was at a close distance with the intimidating Copy Ninja. Sakura and Naruto sized the ANBU up and stood in front of Sasuke, blocking Aoi from the lying teen.

"Kakashi-san, I'm sure you've heard of the duties."

"You don't have to keep watch when Sasuke is training. There are other ninjas surrounding him."

"You know that I can't divulge when and why we are here. Sasuke is my charge and I have a Hokage to answer to."

"No you don't, ANBU," Kakashi retorted. His gray eyes flickered briefly to take in the sturdy figure before him. "You don't have your colleagues with you today."

"This may be rude, but that is none of your concern, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi had long retired from the lines of the elite assassins. But still, his reputation held some roots in the organisation up to this day. That fact alone commanded some respect from the current members.

"Okay, it isn't. But you don't have to lie about the part where Tsunade-sama is answerable to your… _schedule._"

Kakashi knew it was the Elders behind the arrangement.

"I didn't. It's true."

Kakashi lifted his silver brows. The man had some guts to hide the truth. Most of the ANBU knew that Kakashi was not totally clueless about Sasuke's case. Was the guy new?

Aoi adjusted his glove and nodded curtly at Kakashi, hinting his desire to end the unfriendly conversation. He walked over to Sasuke and took him in his arms. Sakura and Naruto protested, lunging at the ANBU but succeeded in grasping thin air when Aoi formed a single hand seal and vanished in a flurry of green leaves. Kakashi left his students gaping, ignoring their calls and cries as he trotted to the other end of the training grounds.

Something was not right.

When the ANBU adjusted his gloves, Kakashi caught a questionable body mark on the man's wrist. ANBU were not supposed to have any other tattoos besides the one inked indelibly on their left upper arm; it would give their distinctiveness as an individual away. That person must have been a retiree like Kakashi but he had long surrendered in keeping count of those following his tracks, backing down from the rank for some valid reasons.

Surely the man had some dignity to stop donning ANBU outfit after he forfeited his duty…

The tattoo… he had seen it somewhere.

No matter who he was, if Kakashi did not know the person, he would not rest easy. And currently, one of his students was stuck with that stranger. Something bad just had to happen each day…

--

"Sasuke?"

"Unh… what?"

"It's okay now. Relax yourself."

Aoi had carefully teleported them to a particularly bushy area of the grounds where the probability of them being spied upon or discovered was low. He was cradling the quivering boy in his laps, one arm looped below Sasuke's knees while the other securing him in a sitting position by the shoulder. Sasuke was cupping his erection with both hands, his body tilted at an angle towards Aoi.

"Hey, you're scaring me Sasuke. Are you okay?"

The boy spoke agitatedly, "No. I feel like I'm pissing in my pants."

The edge of Aoi's lips curled upwards in a playful smirk. He placed his hand over Sasuke's.

"Hey, you like it when I do this?" Aoi moved his hands, at the same while moving Sasuke's with the same rhythmic massage. The younger boy thrashed weakly, feeling his determination crumbling. "Can you feel it? You're touching yourself."

Sasuke flushed at the words. He could feel the heat radiating from his shorts. More warmness dripped down his thighs.

"Damn… I can't take it anymore…"

"Why do you have to torture yourself? Haven't I taught you how to get this over with?"

Aoi slapped Sasuke's hands away. When they fell to his sides, Aoi saw the wetness staining the coarse fabric. Pulling the zip down its track for the second time today, the rigid manhood stood up in all its glory, dripping heavily from its tip.

"Hello again."

"Stop saying those stuff!"

Aoi took the balls in one hand, rubbing them carelessly. More whitish liquid leaked out.

"Sasuke, don't hold it in."

"Shit – stop it you sick pervert!"

"Don't want to."

Aoi dunked his head into Sasuke's dark hair, savouring the closeness he shared with the boy. Without a word of caution, he gripped the testicles and hot, pearly shots of semen blasted out in five, powerful succession. Sasuke tensed greatly, his body curved as the tension torturing him for so long was eased so abruptly. When he collapsed into Aoi's arms – fatigue catching up – darkness threatened to claim his consciousness and he forced himself to stay awake. Aoi saw the inconsistent dilation of the dark irises and knew Sasuke was about to pass out. He brushed the stray bristles sticking to the teen's forehead and propped the body up with ease.

"Sasuke, bear with it for a while. At least until I get you home."

"Home…? Damn… does it have to be this tiring…?" he slurred.

"Well, with that fantastic – okay, I'll shut up," Aoi ended at Sasuke's glare.

So Sasuke did not like people talk dirty to him.

This time, Aoi had taken the initiative of bringing a packet of tissue paper in his back pocket. He made quick job of the Sasuke's mess, both on his stomach and on his now flaccid penis before taking the trouble to rearrange the younger man's disarrayed clothes. Sasuke allowed the ministration and that was only because he was too worn-out to move a limb.

Aoi felt like he was Sasuke's temporary babysitter throughout the few hours he spent with the boy.

"Listen, if you're not against it, I can carry you home," the ANBU offered. "Ichi-sama may deduct my salary for all I know – that isn't so bad – so if you don't mind –"

"I can go back fine by myself," Sasuke interrupted. He sat up independently and clinched his knee as he got to his feet.

"Can you stand now?"

Sasuke nodded. He garbled a thank you much to Aoi's surprise and trampled on the tall grasses to head home. He was in serious need of a long, warm bath.

--

"I heard it's a pretty decent bar, Kakashi."

"Hmm? Why do we have to visit a bar today? Can't we go to the canteen like usual?"

Asuma and Kakashi were strolling leisurely along a dusty Konoha lane, making their way towards the outskirt of the village. The latter seldom come here; his "many hobbies" during his time off were usually carried out either at home, in town or by a scenic glade. He would spend some quality moment with his friends and colleagues in the lounge area of the shinobi headquarters because it would be convenient for the Hokage to contact them. Today though, Asuma planned something different; he was taking Kakashi to a new bar even Kakashi had yet to hear of. Since Kakashi knew Genma who, sequentially, knew every local pub and entertainment center in the village, that was saying a lot.

"Asuma, don't you think it'll be better if we stick around the quarters? Someone might call for us."

"Nah... It's just for a while. I want to check out this new place."

"Who told you about it?"

"Not sure. Heard from it somewhere I guess."

Kakashi sighed. For the sake of friendship, he gave in to Asuma's will and followed the older man towards who-knows-where. Just when he wanted to say he had had enough and would rather retire home, the straw roof of a building appeared from around the corner. The buzzes of human conversation were getting louder and more activities were seen around this area.

"We're here it seems."

"Hmm…" Kakashi wondered loudly as he watched a couple of villagers swaying haphazardly by the brick way holding bottles of sake in their hands.

"Asuma, I didn't know such place appeal to you."

"Err, I didn't know about this."

Asuma had gotten his news from someone who did not bother telling the Jonin that the bar was a haven for drunkards.

"But it's not the drunk that's bothering me."

Asuma glanced swiftly at his companion. Of course; if Kakashi was easily bothered by those kinds of people, he would have severed ties with Genma and company. "Then what is?"

"… That."

Kakashi pointed at a couple of men hunched in a corner who were almost hidden by a stack of wooden crates. Asuma focused his eyes and gawped in horror when he saw them both making out passionately, caressing each other's body. When the one above pushed his hand up the other's shirt, Asuma looked away and did a 180 degree turn on his heels.

"We're out of here."

Kakashi merely replaced his hands in his pocket and stared jadedly at the pub.

"Now that we're already here, don't you want to enter?"

"Very funny, Kakashi. I know my mistake. Sorry for not – Kakashi?"

The younger Jonin was eyeing the banner strung above the main entrance. It billowed as it caught wind but what was painted on the cloth attracted Kakashi's attention.

"Hey, Kakashi? Are you listening?"

Asuma tapped on his shoulder, bringing reality back to the silent man.

"Can we go?" Asuma asked carefully. "Kurenai will kill me if she saw me here."

The silver haired man allowed himself to be steered away as the image of the bar's logo replayed in his mind. He had seen that. No wonder it looked so familiar; the tattoo on the ANBU's wrist was the exact copy of the motive! The bar… it was no common bar. All of the clients walked out in pairs and they were all male.

A gay bar… in Konoha… who had issued the license?

Something shrewd had happened behind the scene but that was not his problem to meddle with.

_Sasuke _was what that concerned him. He did not want to think of the possible ways for Sasuke gaining entry into a bar restricted to adults aged 18 and above; he did not want to know what Sasuke did in the bar and he certainly had no rights to poke into Sasuke's relationship with the ANBU.

Since the ANBU was not below the Hokage, he was legally a free dweller of Konoha. He did not break any rules by serving the bar – unless it was proven that the bar was built on an illicit deed – so the police forces could not take action.

It also meant Kakashi could not extort any information from him.

"Kakashi," Asuma called. He turned to his friend and nodded, signaling that he was listening. "Something bothering you?"

At this, the silver haired man laughed. "Funny you should ask. I was just wondering if I can quit my job as a teacher."

Asuma joined in the laughter as well, clapping Kakashi heartily on his back. "You're getting funnier by the second, mate."

--

It was early in the evening, roughly about four. The sun was still blazing almightily in the sky like nobody's business. And Sasuke plodded wearily with the enticing soothing bath water pervading his mind. But before he jumped into the water, he would have to unload himself of the _burden._ In fact, since morning it was all that he could think of. Sasuke mentally slapped himself when he remembered Naruto's apologise and the fact that he had yet to explain the situation to his friend. Sakura too, she looked dead worried back at the training ground. He was not one for a heart-to-heart talk, but at least he should be telling them that he was fine. Or he could simply strut past them as act as blasé as usual.

They would know that he was back to normal.

Sasuke reached out for the fence, stopping for a breather. He had ejaculated three times already in seven hours… was that number outrageous? This was his first after all. His Uchiha stamina would give way anytime soon; he could feel his body losing senses at an irregular interval. And right now, he was experiencing one of that despairing seconds.

Sasuke leant against the wall, one hand covering his pelvic region while the other tangled in his hair, pushing the curtain of bangs out of his face. He was sure before the day ended he would have left his markings at every corner of Konoha. If only he could stay home and put.

Ragged breaths escaped his cracked lips. Oh yes, he was going to mark Konoha with his sperms.

Sasuke looked around. The street was empty and the few windows on the adjacent buildings were boarded shut. Neither footsteps nor pounds of hoofs on earth could be heard. Sasuke stared at his feet, blinking the sweat out of his eyes. Since nobody would be watching and since he could not wait any longer – or rather, _it _could not wait any longer which was the exact opposite of Sasuke's command to his manhood – hesitantly, Sasuke fiddled with the zip to his trousers. He could do it now; he could do it later.

Screw later then.

He gulped and undid his shorts (this action was far too familiar already) speedily. Knowing he would change his fickle mind as quickly as the wind changes direction, he took the straining organ in his right hand as soon as he saw it. The same milky liquid was forming at the tip. Sasuke heaved a sigh inwardly. How much of that could his body hold? He did not seem to be running out of it.

Shaking his head, Sasuke concentrated on the task at hand. He worked his fist along the length, copying Aoi's movements before. Hotness was beginning to gush downwards. Interested with the dripping precum, he smeared it around the head of his penis and moaned silently when the evening breeze cooled it down. But still, he felt hollow, as though something crucial was missing.

What else had he not done? What had Aoi done that he had yet to perform?

If his hands did not suffice, he would take advantage of the vibrator sticking in his buttocks. Gingerly Sasuke fell to his knees, feeling the rod probing deeper and deeper into his canal, heading towards the sensitive spot somewhere – it hit it. A sharp intake of breath went unnoticed as he clenched his rectal muscles, forcing the tip of the vibrator to massage ceaselessly against the nerves. It was happening – the feeling was back. Sasuke resumed to pumping his erection, his forehead leaning on the telephone pole as he watched his penis expanded to full mass. The hotness radiating from his lower region as he felt his release inching closer and closer, and with one constricting grip on the base of his cock, he cummed again.

Nobody was nearby still. Good.

Sasuke flopped to his side, his trembling body resting on the fences. All these strenuous activities were bound to take a toll on him. He gave himself a couple more hours before he really collapsed by the road side. All the more reasons to dash back home at full gallop then.

"Sasuke-kun!"

He must have heard wrongly… he could not be _this _unlucky!

Then he saw it; pink head bobbed into his wavering vision and Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. He had not fixed himself! Swiftly he secured the buckle to his pants and wiped his hands in the wild shrub flourishing around the pole. He then mopped his face sloppily with his sleeves and stood up to meet Sakura.

"Sasuke-kun! Thank Lord I found you here! I was searching for you everywhere!"

The boy shrugged the urgency Sakura hinted at and asked casually, "Why do you need me?"

"Ah yes, Tsunade-sama needs you. She's waiting for you and Kakashi-sensei in her office. Do you happen to see sensei by the way?"

"Is it another mission for us?"

Sakura shook her head dejectedly. "Apparently not. Naruto and I were not involved this time."

Sasuke told her that he had not seen their teacher anywhere and she proceeded to bounding from roof to roof in search for the man. So much for resting at home…

--

After several minutes of tortuous walk, Sasuke walked up the red door and pushed it open only to see his teacher standing patiently in a corner. The Hokage meanwhile was sitting in her seat, her hands propping her head up. They were clearly waiting for him. Abashed, he muttered an apology and entered the office.

"Sakura is still looking for you," he told the older man as they arranged themselves in front of Tsunade.

"Ah, is she now? She should've known that I'm always around the Jonin complex."

The door opened for the second time and the new presence announced her presence by saying, "You should do that Kakashi-sempai. Sakura is still searching high and low for you. I saw her asking the villagers a while ago."

"I'll bear that in mind, Shizune-san," Kakashi replied graciously.

"All right, this is for you Kakashi," Tsunade said after clearing her throat, passing a rather elegant scroll bound in silk to the Jonin. After unrolling it, he gave a quick scan and ended up clenching his jaws. As polite as he could, he placed the scroll onto the overloaded table and said, "I'm sorry, Hokage-sama. I don't think I'll be able to accept this mission."

"Is it because of your history?"

"No, that's got nothing to do with it."

"You know the Lord of the village?"

"The previous one has retired, so I've been told. This one is an unknown figure."

Tsunade clicked her tongue, waving edgily in the air. "You're the most suitable Jonin to escort the person there, given your knowledge of Kusagakure. It'll be for the best of Konoha to dispatch you instead of Kurenai or Gai."

They had to venture out to a hidden village? Sasuke had traveled out of country before as a member of Team 7, accomplishing missions but he had never set foot in another hidden village. Sakura told him that this time, the meeting with the Godaime Hokage would not involve the entire team, just him and Kakashi. Why the secrecy?

"Kusagakure, you say?" Sasuke interjected the silence; Tsunade was setting Kakashi with her most piercing stare.

"Yes, Kusagakure. You're heading straight into the village itself."

So they _were _going into the village.

"Why can't Naruto and Sakura come along?"

At this point, Kakashi cut in; his voice heavy with resignation. "Hokage-sama, I'm sorry. Even if I have to go on this one, I'm not taking anyone with me."

"Don't be silly. You're not what they want."

"Henge no jutsu, or something more advanced. I can manage well by myself."

"You're not going alone," the elder woman snapped. She slammed the table with her fist and stood up. "You're clouded by misjudgments, Kakashi. I'm going to explain everything then for you both to see the need to dispatch you," he pointed at Kakashi, "and you," and she looked squarely into Sasuke.

"Read that scroll Sasuke. Don't stop him Kakashi," Tsunade warned, "He has the right to know."

His curiosity piqued, Sasuke took the scroll and read it word by word as he listened to Tsunade.

"As you know, Kusagakure has been our ally since the Second Ninja War. In contrast, we are still at loggerhead with Iwagakure. Based on the geography alone, the mission is already A-ranked."

True, Kusagakure and Iwagakure shared a common border and a gap. Iwa had long placed the gap under its watch even though it was not necessary. Kusagakure could not take any political or military action upon Iwa since they lack the manpower to do so. And because of that factor, it was virtually impossible for Kusa to initiate attack on any village what's more a developed one like Iwagakure. The latter in turn could not afford pillaging Kusa for fear of its great allies; the formidable Sunagakure and Konoha itself to name a few.

Sasuke had kept himself well-informed with the politics of the shinobi world. At least, he knew was what going on in the ever so complex society.

"Are we going to Kusa to re-establish political ties then?" Sasuke asked.

"… Yes, and no."

An ambiguous answer – signifying something fishy going on somewhere.

"We are going to retrieve something from Kusa and we're going to be diplomatic at that. Therefore, we're manipulating our ties with Kusa."

"Is it really necessary? They are dependant on us for their defense after all," Sasuke argued.

"Not this time. You'll understand once you learn _what _they have. We don't really know how, but reliable sources told us that the Lord of Kusagakure is having Iwa's military blueprints. All the data concerning its ANBU members down to the number of Genin registered with the council are in. Do you realise how valuable the data is?"

Sasuke understood. With that knowledge, Kusa could turn the table and bring down any one of the Great 5 Nations by selling the information to anyone desirable. Konoha was the strongest village at current but the other villages were not that far behind. Still suffering from the aftermath of Orochimaru's assault, the village had yet to recover to its full splendor.

"We're going to secure the data and at the same time secure Konoha's safety as well…"

"I'm glad you're following this Sasuke."

Kakashi focused his eye on his superior once more. Now that she had gotten the talk out of the way, he could discourage her from sending Sasuke on the mission with him.

"Now, what your mission actually is. You will use the gap as your route to Kusa. It is highly risky since as mentioned, Iwa is placing some of its top shinobi there but it's the quickest way for you to get to Kusa."

"Time is factor," Kakashi added, the lines on his face deepened as he said so.

"That's right. We have to get there before someone else robs the Lord of the data. However, by traveling along the gap, Iwa will brand you as trespassers and will attempt ambush. That's where you, Kakashi comes in. And I believe in your capability as the Rookie Number One of your batch, Sasuke."

They both nodded.

"The rest is up to the team leader, Hatake Kakashi. You're hereby assigned to secure the data concerning the secrets of Iwagakure and return as quickly as possible." She peered down at him. "This mission _must _be a success." And for a passing second, Sasuke felt her eyes rolled over him.

"Still, Hokage-sama, I'm against the proposition of appointing Sasuke as the… _ambassador._"

"It's not in your place to decide whom we should be sending."

Her patience was stretching thin. Using his last chance, he reasoned, "I'm offering myself as Konoha's representative instead. If I have to Henge into Sasuke, I will. And I'll keep my cover until the completion of the mission."

Tsunade sighed wearily, pressing a finger into her temple. "It's not your perseverance which concerns me Kakashi. But you should know better. Your chakra type is known to almost everyone in Kusagakure. You met them in the war, you should _know_. And there's no jutsu in this world which can forcibly convert your chakra into someone else's."

"I'll suppress it. It's the only way."

"Can you when you're doing it?"

Sasuke stood patiently, waiting for their discussion to end. They made no sense to him so he could only keep quiet and not interfere.

"It's final Kakashi. Sasuke's going."

Ah that, he comprehended. And he was absolutely fine with it.

"You'll elaborate on the dangers and such _outside_. But since we have to send a copy of your picture to the Lord, I need to know whether you want to take on this mission or not Sasuke."

The teen did not need another round of asking. So he replied, "I'm taking it. An A-rank mission after countless of D-ranks is a good change."

Sasuke threw a glance at Kakashi. There was a sense of defeat welling in his lone eye.

"Okay, that settles everything. I'll leave the gifts preparation to you Kakashi. Once a feedback is received from Kusa, their people will be waiting for you based on that photo and… you will do what you have to do."


	5. Restrain

"Sasuke!" Kakashi called out at the younger ninja.

The teen stopped at the sound his name. When his teacher caught up with him, he shot Kakashi that typical boring look of his. "Do you need anything from me?"

He remembered Tsunade instructing Kakashi to elaborate on the mission _outside, _so she probably meant explaining more about his role as the ambassador somewhere in the ninja lounge. For now, that could take a back seat. He had a rather bothersome vibrator in his ass to worry about.

"You can explain later," Sasuke added. "Tomorrow," he said, remembering that his challenge would be over by the next midday.

"No, that's not what I want to talk about."

Kakashi seldom talked to his students. He provided sound advices only on the rarest occasions so it was hardly difficult to hide that littlest amount surprise when he heard Kakashi. Sasuke turned his back against the older man and pushed away his teacher's presence. "I have to go back now. I'll come by your house tomorrow at one."

Then a hand came to grip Sasuke by the wrist.

"You don't want me to tie you up again, do you?" Kakashi threatened as he searched the area and rested his eyes on the playground in the vicinity. No children were occupying the place. "We should go to a quieter place."

Ignoring Sasuke's attempt to twist his arm out of the grip, Kakashi half-dragged the teen towards the swings until Sasuke decided to walk on his legs. There, he released Sasuke and slipped his hand casually into his pocket again.

"First thing's first. I have some questions to ask you."

Sasuke leant against the swing and folded his arms neatly across his chest. If Kakashi was going to grill him for whatever answers, he doubted he would be able to stand that long the entire time.

"I will not guarantee that you'll get all the answers you need."

Sasuke looked at him again, half expecting a concealed smile. But Kakashi was not. He usually gave his students a goofy grin when they were becoming testing.

"This is a serious matter, Sasuke," he impressed upon the significance of the meeting with that dark, deep voice. It caused some unsettledness in the heavy atmosphere and Sasuke kept quiet, surrendering to the interrogation.

"Have you been to the club at the edge of the village?"

A crack resonated loudly as he twisted his neck so suddenly to face the Jonin. He knew he had heard the question correctly. That time, Kakashi must have seen him entering the bar.

Had he?

"You saw me?"

Kakashi stared at the teen with unreadable expressions. So he wanted to hear the truth from Sasuke himself. Since the man had asked him directly, he should have had some form of evidence. What was the point of denying the deed? Kakashi would just bully him into revealing the fact anyway.

"That's correct; I've been there."

"When?"

"This morning."

"For what purpose?"

"That's my business."

Kakashi had been prying into his personal business. His free time were to be spent in anyways _he _liked, not his teacher. And he had rights to retain some privacy hadn't he?

"If you're going to send me to the councils for entering a bar even though I'm not off age, go ahead."

"That's not what I meant," Kakashi said slowly.

He considered his next words, weighing them carefully as he eyed the boy. "I've spin all the possibilities in my head since morning but still fail to see why a gay bar appeals to –"

"A _what _exactly did you say?" Sasuke asked, his eyes widening in alarm.

"A gay bar," Kakashi reiterated as if it was the blatant truth every citizen in Konoha would know.

"A gay bar… _a_ _gay bar…_"

The grey haired man had to bend his neck at an angle to study Sasuke's averted face. That was interesting; Sasuke seemed to be unaware of the type of bar he had just waltzed into. However, if Sasuke did not know, then why would he enter the place nonetheless? As for that, Kakashi deemed the boy had had enough sense to take responsibility of his own actions.

"You can mull over that fact later, Sasuke. The next thing I want to know is your relationship with the ANBU."

Any mention of Aoi brought steam to his cheeks. He lowered his head further, the long bangs blocking his face from Kakashi's inspections. Before he had the time to answer, Kakashi spoke again, "I know it's not in my place to ask you that. But as your teacher, I have to warn you of that man. He works for the bar and he doesn't look… as_ normal _as other shinobi. You might want to keep an eye out for that guy."

Sasuke could take care of himself, thank you very much.

"I don't know what's running in your head, but I'll say this," Sasuke cracked. "I saw that ANBU climbing into the bar through the chimney. I wanted to catch him red-handed so I followed him into the bar. Someone had to teach them a lesson for disrupting my privacy."

"You Henge-ed?"

Sasuke nodded. He still felt hot in the cheeks so he kept his body diverted. Suddenly, Kakashi laughed. It lasted only for a while, and even then, Sasuke detected sourness in it.

"Just as expected from our Rookie Number One. If you told me you still don't know after all these years, I'll probably dig a hole and bury myself in it."

"You _knew_?"

The Jonin did not let on how much he knew of certain things. It was kind of unnerving. Sasuke thought he would be the only one who knew there were ANBU sent to report every little thing he did to the Hokage. If Kakashi knew, why did he not say anything?

"Ah, I was told to keep silent. But it doesn't matter since I have faith in you. You'll find out, and you found out early. I'm impressed. However, you may not know about this." Kakashi lowered his voice and continued, "That ANBU trailing you is not working under Tsunade-sama. In fact, none of the ANBU are under the Hokage, be it she herself or the late Sarutobi-sama. Chances are our current Hokage was not told about this."

Scratching his ear, Sasuke uttered, "Why are you telling me this? I can do nothing about it."

"I need you to be on constant watchfulness. Also, if you need any help with your monetary problems, don't be shy to ask."

Kakashi prepared to leave, taking several steps out of the sandbox.

"Wait!"

It was as if the older man knew.

"What makes you think I'm in urgent need for money?"

"Ah… why…"

He had several theories, none of which were kind to the ears. He did not want to sugar-coat them, so he told Sasuke the most recent evidence he had managed to gather.

"It's very unlikely of you to rush into a mission without knowing the task."

Sasuke was extremely taken aback by the statement. Kakashi was right; he still did not know the role to play in the mission.

"You're still very perceptive and analytical in your logic and reasoning, but when it came to money – that is, signing up for that A-rank mission – you lost it. That is one solid proof."

Damn… he was being careless.

"You're not a baby, Sasuke. Do whatever you think is all right, but if you need assistance, my door is always open."

--

Finally.

Sasuke exited his bathroom and opened the door to his bedroom, sliding blissfully into his haven. From his opened window, he glimpsed upon the moon shining woefully from the azure sky. It was night. It was _perfect. _He was all ready to tuck his aching body into the layers of comforter when he saw someone already occupying his bed. He strained his eyes to identify the unknown figure knowing that he should not be jumping onto the form with a kunai when the latter had yet to make his move.

"Aoi?" Sasuke said instinctively.

"Hello," came the reply from the darkened chamber. There was no mistake. It was the ANBU. "Before you throw me out of the house, let me inform you that it's my duty to watch you day _and _night so –"

"– so I won't cheat. I get it."

Sasuke walked across the sitting man and over to the balcony. He hung his damp towel and seemed to be lost in his thoughts. Aoi would have booed him loudly in the ears to see what reaction he would gouge from the cold hearted teen.

"I can sleep, can't I, Aoi?" Sasuke asked out of the blue.

"Of course you can. Why d'you have to ask?"

The teen stumbled into his bedroom and settled delicately on the mattress. It dipped under their weight and Aoi stood up to allow more space for the younger ninja.

"That bastard – your master – implied that I have to be active all day long in order to win this round."

"Did he?" Aoi chortled. "It's not possible to stay active for that long. I don't want to have a participant fainting in the first challenge and… you have 16 hours to go."

Sasuke groaned at the prospect of enduring another 16 hours of torture.

"Sleep while you can."

Aoi helped cover Sasuke with the comforter. Then he held the boy by his back and said, "Wait. You'll need… this," before shoving a pillow under Sasuke's hip.

"What's that for?"

Aoi ironed the bed sheets caringly and stood up when he was satisfied. "You don't want to wake with your sheets soiled in the morning now… that'll keep it from digging straight into your prostate."

"My what?"

Aoi did not fancy talking about biological stuff for bed stories. But since the teen barely knew a thing of this aspect, he just had to be patient.

"Your prostate. It's located at the back of the most sensitive spot in your rectum."

"Oh."

Sasuke rested on his side, his back towards Aoi and he muttered "goodnight" before he allowed sleep to claim him. He was darn too tired to entertain the "guest" in his room – he had released his load twice in the bathroom just now.

All he wanted was a nice, good sleep.

Aoi sank into a chair opposite of the bed, watching the teen drifting into a deep slumber. He yearned for his bed at home too… but of course, his duty came first. So by the time the boy awoke, he would have to tolerate the vibrations in his canal for 8 hours more. Couple that with sore muscles… great, it was exactly what Aoi needed; a cranky wielder of the fearsome Sharingan.

Aoi crept to the balcony and took out a wireless walkie-talkie from his vest pocket. He put it on and covered his mouth loosely with a hand.

"San-sama?"

A fuzz of white noise was heard. It was then substituted by a drone of an old man. "Aoi? What now?"

"Just to inform you Sir, Uchiha Sasuke will last the day. He has 16 hours to go and he's currently sleeping… so that'll give you enough time to collect the bet and prepare his reward."

The racket on the other side of the conversation made it almost impossible for Aoi to listen to the next sentence, "Okay, if you say so."

The line was cut off and Aoi popped the device back into its place. He rested his hip against the balcony's balustrade, observing Sasuke. A wanting shiver shook him even as his eyes followed the curves of the other's visage. He remembered how Sasuke convulsed when he hit orgasm, the short breaths he took, and the innocent flush marring his skin…

"You don't know what you're doing to me, Sasuke…"

His legs brought him closer to the bed. With each step nearer, Aoi felt aghast with himself. Sasuke was not his and here he was, failing terribly at stemming his wanton libido. There were so many others in the bar, more skillful and willing but Aoi rejected them. For some reasons unknown to men, Aoi shooed them away when they tried to get affectionate.

He bowed over Sasuke. He slipped his hand into the slack fist curled at the corner of the bedspread, the other disappearing under the covers. It roamed down the teen's sides, feeling the muscles tautened at the ticklish touch. Then it twisted around to cup one of Sasuke's firm buttocks. The teen ground his teeth as Aoi unintentionally lifted Sasuke from the mattress, encouraging the persistently vibrating rod into Sasuke's _prostate. _Realising what he had done, he removed his hand only to accidentally brush it against the swell in Sasuke's trousers. A low moan got away.

Aoi cursed himself.

"Damn… _damn…_"

He stood up abruptly, ending any physical contacts with the mildly aroused teen. San would have killed him two times over for leaving Sasuke alone for the night but he needed to distance himself from the boy, for Aoi's selfish sake at least.

So he knelt beside the bed and elevated Sasuke's head by cupping the teen's jaw line. This, he would not regret. Aoi claimed the lips fully, leaning deeper into Sasuke, completely lost by the need to hold the younger male closer. And then as if a light switch got turned off in his brain, Aoi finished it, nipping sorrowfully at Sasuke's bottom lip. His forehead lingered momentarily on Sasuke's as he repeatedly chanted it in his mind – _Sasuke's not mine_. Then he caressed the pallid cheeks one last time before he swept off into the night.

--

Even though the pillow, mattress and comforter wrapped around his body were feather-soft, Sasuke awoke aching all over. He blinked in the morning ray, flexing his body as he scouted for bruises. But the longer he stayed in bed, the ache dulled somewhat and it focused at his tailbone. He remembered hitting his hip pretty hard during that little spar with Naruto. Had he fractured a bone? Sasuke threw the covers away and sat up, wincing at the tenderness. It was then he realised it was his sphincter muscle in his butt that was acting up and the pain radiated to his back.

What was he going to do for the entire morning? Stay idle? The bet would only end in the afternoon.

He shifted his legs and grimaced at the crispiness attached to his inner thigh. This time, he groaned loudly, frustrated by his body's lack of control. He could not even remember when he released his load.

So he got off the bed and tore the bed sheets and the blanket from the mattress. They could wait until evening… the same to the laundries.

"Morning!"

That voice… Sasuke searched for the source and found it perching on the window sill. Aoi waved at the teen and invited himself into the bedroom.

"It's good to see you up and about. I was expecting to see you paralysed in bed."

"Continue expecting then," Sasuke chirped coolly, throwing a fresh towel over his shoulder. He waddled to the closet and dug slowly into his stacks of daily wear, paying no attention to Aoi's presence in the space. The older ninja tapped his feet on the floor, watching Sasuke intently as if he was supervising the younger man's morning routine. After one whole minute of endless searching, Aoi said, "You have to pick up the pace Sasuke. By the time you finish bathing, the sun will be setting."

"Hn, that's not a problem. I don't have anything important to do in the morning."

"So you think you can wait here until afternoon?"

Sasuke closed the drawer with a randomly chosen set of attire and headed towards the bathroom.

Aoi laughed at the teen's antic. "You can pretend like I'm not here, but I have a message for you. From Kakashi-san."

The mention of Kakashi froze Sasuke by the door. He turned to look at Aoi who had dislodged himself from the corner of the chamber. "He said there'll be a meeting at ten in the morning. That kunoichi team mate of yours will be arriving any minute to inform you."

"How do you know?"

"Overheard it. I met them on my way here."

By the word "met", Sasuke assumed Aoi had hid himself in the shadows and listened to Kakashi's order.

"That's eavesdropping."

"It doesn't matter," Aoi butted in. "It'll be ten in 30 minutes so you better finish up fast."

Sasuke entered the bathroom and the doorbell rang, the din ricocheted throughout the house. He sighed, abandoning his task and walked to the door. A hand tapped him on the shoulder and Aoi said, "You go and bathe. I'll take care of Sakura-chan."

Sasuke shot him a scowl. Aoi had done his revision on his friends' names as well?

The older man answered the door and found the pink haired lady waiting. She looked shocked for a second at the sight of Aoi; then the ANBU had to leap out of the way as she gave him a chakra-enhanced punch to the face as a gift. She missed him by inches and the innocent armchair was crunched to oblivion.

"Remind me not to mess with you," Aoi commented with a hint of awe, his eyes staring at the remnants of wood splinters.

"What did you do to Sasuke-kun?" she growled.

"Absolutely nothing I assure you."

Aoi knew Sakura was not.

"He's taking his bath at the moment. Can I take down a message instead?"

Sakura fired her fist with more chakra. Aoi saw the brief glow of blue and called out to the empty hall, "Sasuke, I'm sorry for breaking you house into pieces – you can sleep over at my place tonight!"

"As if!" the girl yelled; her fist cutting through the air dangerously.

"Sakura! Aoi!"

Sasuke came out in the nick of time, his hair dripping wet and his eyes broadened at their battle poses. They were going all out for a kill – Sakura he could understand, but Aoi?

"You are not hurting my friends," he hissed at the older man, putting himself in between their killing instincts.

"And Sakura, what are you doing here?"

She relaxed in her stance, lowering her arms. "Kakashi-sensei said there's a meeting today at ten at Ground 5 again. You ought to be there."

"Fine, you go ahead. I'll have to clean this _mess_ –" he said pointedly, nodding towards the armchair, or Aoi who was blocking the view, "and then I'll be there."

She continued staring at Aoi. Sasuke knew their meet was not going to be simple.

"He's a friend, so you don't have to worry."

"A friend?"

Suddenly, Aoi wrapped his arms around Sasuke's neck and did a V symbol with left hand. "Best one in the world." And he kissed the teen's temple before adding, "Best partner in bed as well."

"Oi, what the hell are you talking about!"

Sakura was blushing so deeply at their intimacy. Aoi could be joking but his body language did not. She glanced at the floor and saw how Aoi had brought his knees in between Sasuke's legs and practically pushing the younger ninja to lean on him.

"Right…" she stammered. "Whatever it is, meet you at ten!"

In two large steps, she swung the door open and disappeared – all done within two seconds.

Sasuke groaned once more, sliding downwards only to be held up by Aoi's firm arms.

"Don't be angry, I was just trying to help out."

"I know," Sasuke breathed. "But is it really necessary to say _that?_"

"What? That we're partners in bed?"

"_Yes_."

"Well, no. But did you see her face? Priceless gag to play on girls, especially those who have crushes on you."

Sasuke said nothing. How much time had he wasted on the two dunderheads?

"Hey, Sasuke?" Aoi asked, seizing the teen by his armpits as he heaved him up to his feet. "Your chakra is fluctuating a bit. It's no big deal, but watch after yourself. Don't overexert today."

Sasuke shrugged himself off Aoi's concern and exited his house, leaving behind the silent ANBU.

He had a meeting to attend to.

--

"Sakura, you can spar with Naruto today."

"Eh? What about Sasuke-kun?"

"It's your turn now Sakura, so spar with Naruto. No questions allowed."

Those were Kakashi's dictator-ish commands. He sent two of his students prancing on the battlefield as he beckoned Sasuke to accompany him under the shady tree. He did a number of accidental eye contacts with the blonde ninja but when either of them wanted to say something, Kakashi had started speaking or Sakura was attempting to break the awkward silence with more babbling. So they ended up not speaking at all.

"Sasuke," Kakashi said, jarring the teen a little by the shoulder. "Are you paying attention now?"

The teen folded his legs and replied, "Yes. Now what is it that you want to talk about?"

Kakashi had isolated him from his team mates, so obviously their teacher wanted to have some private moments with him. He had cleverly told Naruto and Sakura that Sasuke was hurt in the previous sparring session and he was then excluded from today's training. To Sasuke, that did more damage than help since Naruto looked even more hurt at the mention of "Sasuke is still recovering".

He would not lie that he was hurt but it was hardly due to the spar.

"Is that ANBU watching us?"

Sasuke snorted. "You know since the very beginning that he's here all along, following me."

"Hmm… let's get straight to the point then. Is it possible for you to break ties with that person?"

How could he possibly split the connections he had with Aoi? He did not consent forming them in the first place; Aoi was placed there by Ichi and his associates when he joined the bet. Kakashi should never find out about the bet so he could not disclose any news concerning Aoi. Everything had got to be kept tight with secrecy. And this should stay in mute mode until the end of the month – when Sasuke would be free, and richer. No, it should stay unspoken off until the final moments of his days.

"Possible or not, it's my choice to make. And I don't speak of the choices I make in life."

"You haven't changed your mind…"

The Jonin relented. If Sasuke insisted at not telling, so be it.

"Kakashi, you still haven't told me about the mission."

"Ah… of course…"

Tsunade told him that there would be another short meeting to finalise the little details before they set off in a few days. Perhaps it was better to break the news then? Konoha had mailed Sasuke and Kakashi's photos to Kusa so no matter what they both were going there unless they died mysteriously before they left … If Sasuke was going to do it, knowing _what _he was supposed to do any time earlier or later would not matter much.

"We will be briefed by Tsunade-sama some days later. So you'll get all the info you need then."

"And what about your preparations?"

Of course, Tsunade had instructed him to prepare gifts for Kusa's Lord.

"One of Fire Country's priced items is the sake brewed by an old couple in the northern area. I've ordered a barrel or two and they're sending the finest ones by tomorrow evening. I'll keep them in a summoning scroll so we won't have to haul those things up our backs," Kakashi quipped, smiling meekly.

"You're taking sake to Kusa in exchange for the data? Then the Lord must be extremely generous in nature…"

Kakashi stood up and raised his hand to his lips to amplify his voice. "Naruto! Sakura! That's enough for the day! We're heading back!"

Sasuke followed suit and limped along Kakashi. "Where are we going?"

"Are you hurt?" Kakashi interjected, frowning as Sasuke shambled a step behind him.

The teen's jaw was set and Kakashi picked up the sign; he should let the question drop.

"I'm going to see Tsunade-sama. Further arrangements are in order to ensure smooth going of the mission. You don't have to come along. Your part will come in due time. Also," Kakashi waited for Naruto and Sakura to walk our of earshot distance. "My offer to help you with any debts or money problems is still open."

"I don't have _problems _handling my budgets," the teen said heatedly. Why would Kakashi keep bothering with the way he spend his money? For one, he was not living an extravagant life so why would he be short of money?

But deep down, Sasuke had a nagging feeling that the older man knew something he did not. It was biting his composure – he was not sure how long he could keep the act up in front of Kakashi's gray eyes.


	6. End of Round 1

2 hours more…

Just 2 _damn _hours… then he could go back and be freed from torment!

Sasuke had returned home after Kakashi dismissed them. He planned to take another bath but he found Aoi waiting for him in his bedroom again. He tried to shoo the older man away under the pretence of needing some time alone but the ANBU insisted that he should be there during the final crucial moments. When Aoi's eyes followed his every movement, it really grated his nerves.

"Don't you have something else to do?" Sasuke exclaimed rather loudly after Aoi flicked an uninterested eye at Sasuke's chin.

"What do you mean? Can't you see I'm busy doing my duty now?"

"Ogling at me doesn't count."

"Hmm… okay. You don't have to bear with this any longer. You can go to the bar now if you want to."

Sasuke turned his heels and almost drop the dishes he was washing. "Really?"

Aoi nodded. "Yep, in fact, I'm here to escort you there. So you want to go now?"

Sasuke was already stashing the drying cloth on the rack. He raced through the hall only to collapse onto the floor. The backache was worsening and it was getting rather painful to walk. Aoi who had heard the thud came into the vicinity to check on the noise and upon seeing Sasuke down he hurried by and held the boy in his arms.

"What is it? Are you okay?"

Sasuke clutched at his back, hoping that the gesture was enough to answer Aoi. The latter was doing some fast calculations; his eyes were intent on the other male but they were not exactly focused. When Sasuke winced at his attempt to sit up properly, Aoi hooked the younger ninja's arm around his neck and held his hip steadily.

"We're going to the bar now."

"Like this?" the teen asked unevenly.

"I'm supporting only half your weight. That doesn't hurt your ego much."

Noon was approaching and the last meal he had taken was his meager supper yesterday. He had skipped breakfast after all the interruptions – none of which he wanted to recall at the moment – and it was only natural to feel weak. However, if Aoi were to walk with him like this, everyone strolling along the street would shoot them puzzling looks. Sasuke wanted to avoid those.

"Can you walk?"

Sasuke considered the question more carefully. With the numbness freezing his lower region (down to his toes) he had to admit that he was pretty powerless in this state. Slowly, Sasuke shook his head.

"Okay. We'll use a teleporting jutsu to get there. Less troublesome."

He shuffled around his back pouch and took out a blue scroll. With his teeth Aoi unbound the paper and threw it onto the ground as it unfurled neatly, revealing many tiny characters written in ink.

"Just a little bit more, Sasuke."

Aoi lowered himself to the floor, pulling Sasuke charily downwards as well. He bit the pad of his thumb and pressed it onto the empty space on the scroll. More characters wriggled under Aoi's palm and he clenched onto the younger male's hip. With a poof of smoke, they vanished from the hall.

--

The recognizable straw roof of the bar shimmered into view. At first it was hazy; then as Sasuke felt his feet hit solid ground, his vision cleared. He could even hear people rambling about nonsense all around; must be the sake influence. Aoi heaved Sasuke more securely and asked, "You okay?"

He received a nod.

"Good. Most people aren't used to teleporting and they get light-headed very easily. We don't have time for you being sick so you better endure for a little more."

Sparing another glace at the bar's entrance, Aoi said, "Let's go then."

They paced themselves carefully; Aoi was trying to avoid any discomfort for Sasuke's sake while the latter could only tag along. It felt somewhat degrading to depend on someone else for a short trip to the dratted bar. His normal self would retaliate at Aoi having kittens over him… but he felt so drained of energy to do anything other than nudging his foot one step forward to where he was being lead to.

At the door mat, Aoi stiffened.

"Uh…"

Sasuke raised his head, looking at Aoi who had stopped suddenly.

"Sasuke, we have to sit outside for a while. At least until Ichi-sama and the rest arrive."

Now was that not unusual. Aoi was the one who wanted to bring him here early in the first place. Sasuke was _not _going to spend his time watching drunkards throwing porcelain jars of sake at each other so whatever reason it was, he was bent on going into the bar and sit or even lie down for a while.

Aoi on the other hand was having different thoughts. He heard steamy moans and loud banging from within and from past experiences he knew something sinful was taking place behind the drapes. The teen was not ready to witness all those things and he would be better off not introduced to this side of the world. Aoi tried to steer Sasuke away from the bar but to his dismay, the younger one pushed his way through the thick canvas draping.

Aoi almost slammed his head into the wall when Sasuke stared straight into the view before him, his mouth wide opened in revulsion.

"What the –?"

A man was lying on the table on his back, his legs hanging down another man's shoulders. The one standing was moving erratically, pushing his hips towards the table. At the same time, more screams streamed out from the scene. To Sasuke, one of them was crying out in pain and judging from their facial expressions, it was easy to deduce who was the one hurting. But if it was awful and unwelcome, why not fight? Then the one standing leaned over his partner and took his lips passionately. Oh, that was when Sasuke noticed both of the males were naked.

The teen looked away immediately. He settled into the couch nearest to the entrance yet farthest from the lamp. There, he was hidden from everyone. Aoi sidled beside Sasuke. He hummed awkwardly, not used to the stony silence wedging him and his charge. He _knew _Sasuke was not ready. And he was _damn right._

"Well, at least Round 1 is about to end," Aoi muttered.

Sasuke buried his face in his hand, shutting his eyes from the lights.

"You have 2 more to go. They're going to be more challenging… but I believe you'll get through all of them. You've proved to majority of the folks that you're tough enough to have a vibrator stuck in your ass at high power for 24 hours!"

"Shut up…"

The words seeped out so softly they were drowned by the din in the bar. Naturally Aoi did not hear him and continued talking, "Let's hope the Uchiha blood in you will give you all the edges you need to win this thing."

Sasuke had had enough. His limits were approaching and he needed to last a little bit more, at least until one of the old men removed that _thing _from his butt. He plopped his head on the cold surface of the table top, resting his temple flat on the glass. Since he was facing the other way, he could only guess what Aoi looked like when the man hunched closer behind him.

"It's only for a while more. Be strong."

His gloved hand raked through Sasuke's black mane, soothing the boy from his misery.

"How are you feeling?" Aoi enquired tenderly.

Without moving an inch, Sasuke replied, "Giddy."

So the boy had been pushed too much. It was not a good sign; if his condition prolonged, Sasuke was going to lose consciousness. It must be the fatigue. Furthermore, Sasuke had not shown signs of arousal today. His time spent in the bathroom was a lot shorter than yesterday, proof that there was not a frantic need to ease himself. In fact, he had yet to change into a fresh pair of trousers, another proof to a dry manhood. When it came to this stage, it meant any forms of bliss were not possible. This was where the real torture started. And he had kept quiet about it for 4 long hours.

Aoi kissed the top of Sasuke's head, letting the teen know that he still had a company in these tormenting hours. But there was another thing he could do to help Sasuke.

"Ichi-sama and his buddies love to delay their schedule," Aoi blurted. He sensed Sasuke tensing at the fact. "I'll call them right away," the ANBU offered.

He took his walkie-talkie out and prayed inwardly that his masters were within the range. When all he heard was white noise, he was somewhat disheartened but at the disgruntled sound of Ichi, his heart lifted.

"Ichi-sama?"

"Aoi? Now what?"

"You should be in the bar in 15 minutes. Uchiha Sasuke is waiting for you already."

"Ah, he can wait a little more. I'm quite… _preoccupied _here."

Then Aoi heard a strangled moan from the earphone.

"Err, Ichi-sama, sorry to disrupt your… activity, but the contestant can't hold long anymore. Besides, you have to end it after 24 hours – it's your promise."

The other man tutted unhappily. "Fine," came the reply after a long pause. "We'll be there in 15 minutes."

By the sound of Aoi's relief sigh, Sasuke took that they were going to arrive at the time as promised. Good. He was sore everywhere, particularly in the ass and the spine and he knew he would have trouble walking back home. This time, nobody would be his third leg, not even Aoi as Round 1 would end by then.

A warm palm massaged at his shoulder, easing the knots forming in the stressed out muscles. Aoi worked patiently, aiming to alleviate Sasuke's physical burden in any ways he could.

Sasuke was not responding.

"You're really pushing yourself this much?"

Sasuke grunted incoherently, his eyelids closing. It must be sheer motivation fueling him to keep going on.

"Gentlemen, welcome back!"

Sasuke's ears pricked at the vociferous greeting.

"San-sama is here, Sasuke."

The teen pushed his head up so that his chin rested on the table instead. Many people were circling the central table and they threw furtive glances all over the bar, no doubt in search for the main character of the bet – him.

"May I call upon Uchiha Sasuke?"

Aoi fastened a grip around Sasuke's upper arm. "That's our cue. Let's go."

He stood up, allowing the teen to get used to standing on his feet. It must be painful, but these few steps were important. To win the bet, Sasuke needed to don his tough-guy mask again. He need not do that in front Aoi – Aoi hated pretense – but he found himself encouraging Sasuke to act as if being teased by a vibrator for 1 day was second nature to him.

"Keep up that emotionless face, Sasuke," Aoi whispered.

It was cruel.

Sasuke chewed on his tongues, ignoring the mounting ache. His walking pace increased as he penetrated through the crowd, his face as white as sheet. But in the dim light, nobody was going to notice.

"You're the man, Sasuke! Come here!"

San made some space for him and beckoned Sasuke to stand in front of the table. Once there, the teen held the corners and shifted some of his weight onto it. Aoi hovered quite closely behind him, watching… and waiting.

"Bend over, Sasuke-kun."

He obeyed. The fiery side of him which disliked anyone to instruct him what to do was turned to ambers for the time being; Sasuke did not felt like arguing at all. If San had told him to strip and masturbate for everyone to see, he probably would have done it without another word. That made him… _cheap, _didn't it?

When his upper body section was bent at 90 degree on the table, his knees wobbled. He heard Aoi's footsteps shuffling on the linoleum flooring. San was fumbling around for the zip and once again, those dirty fingers prodded mischievously at his penis. Unlike the previous time, Sasuke felt no heat gushing down, no excitement at all. San grunted – for what reason, he did not know.

"Oh, would you look at that. Sasuke-kun really sticks to the rules huh?"

Sasuke stayed in that pose for two minutes or so. A representative from the audience was chosen to come to the front to certify the bet's outcome. Said representative was a bastard Sasuke noted; he had pulled the butt cheeks apart brutally and traced the outer ring of his anus with his finger, aggravating the painful sensation there. Sasuke did not react; Aoi did. He heard knuckles cracking and the pervert scrambled back into the mass.

"Okay, so everything is valid, no cheatings and such. I hereby declare… Uchiha Sasuke wins!"

The racket was unbelievable. They might be pissed, they might be celebrating. If they were not happy, they would probably gang up on him. That would be… unwanted. There was no way he could defend himself against a mob of irate perverts who had lost their money in a bet.

How much more could he take in a day?

"I'll remove it."

Finally!

San took hold of the thin wire connecting the rod to the black box still taped onto his outer thigh. Sasuke felt the vibrator squirmed in his canal. Then with a swift pull, it was dragged out of his rectum and Sasuke cried in pain. It felt like a chunk of his flesh was corroded in that harsh removal. His breathe came in shallow shots and fuzzy lines intercepted his vision. He was not sure he could last any longer.

A strong arm wrapped around his waist, holding his form in its position. Sasuke subconsciously leaned into it.

"Pay up, good men! We have your names and signatures and before we resort to our… _ruthless _coercion, do pay what you owe us."

Coins after coins, notes after notes were tossed onto the table where Sasuke rested, the money strewn tantalizingly before his dull eyes. Why he was not pleased with his earnings?

"And this belongs to you."

A heavy pouch was dropped beside his shivering hand. Through the thin weaving of wool, Sasuke discerned gold glitters.

"10 000 pieces of pure gold. All yours, Sasuke-kun."

So for all the sufferings he was pitched at, this was his prize. The tiniest trickle of regret coursed through his conscience. Wearily, he reached for the gold and clutched it rather tightly; nobody was going to take it away from him, not after what he had done to gain it.

"Until then, Sasuke-kun."

He could go back home. Round 1 was over.

"I'll send you back home," Aoi whispered comfortingly in his ear.

"Aoi!" Ichi summoned loudly. The ANBU regarded the man with a raised brow. Ichi shouted something – Sasuke could not make out the words. Aoi somehow had released his hold on Sasuke and surprisingly, the latter was able to stand quite steadily without assistance.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disobey your orders today, Ichi-sama. I'll return after I get Sasuke home."

The gold clinked as his grip tightened on the pouch.

"I don't need your pity."

"I – what?"

Sasuke did not care to repeat. He swept Aoi's hand which had tried to stop the teen from walking out the bar alone. For now, for all he cared, Aoi had done his part.

Sasuke half slouched as his legs carried him out to the streets. It was as if he had left his soul in the bar; his movements were not voluntary. He merely walked on, his home as his refuge was the only thing playing on his mind. Then more black stripes danced before his eyes. He blinked, and his mind was starting to swirl.

As expected, he was not going to make home safely.

He fell, his knees buckled under his weight. The busy street suddenly sounded so silent… he was only conscious of himself and that was only for a split second before darkness swallowed him. But somehow, he heard somebody calling his name from faraway. And he knew that voice. Rough fabric rubbed his cheeks as he was being lifted from the bustling crowd; someone had balanced his unmoving body on the shoulder, his head resting against his saviour's back.

The familiar sensation of spinning into nothingness clouded his senses. He was being teleported again.

A ninja had found him.

--

Comfort…

His eyelashes fluttered, the lids lifting as consciousness tipped steadily back into Sasuke. When he was awake enough, he assessed his situation. He was lying on his stomach; chlorophyll filled his nose and there were grassy blades brushing his lips. The next thing he picked up was callous gloved hands kneading the back of his hip.

As thought; another dirty pervert.

"Get the hell away from me!"

He swung his elbow straight into where he pictured his attacker's jaw would be. When it grazed thin air, he directed his left leg upwards.

"Sasuke, no –"

"Tch –"

His leg fell limply onto the ground, his body curled to his side as pain swept through his back. Sasuke cringed, hugging his torso as he dealt silently with the ache.

"You should be lying still in that condition."

The solemnity of the speaker was apparent in his voice. Sasuke cracked his eyes and took in silver hair and a masked visage.

"Kakashi…"

"Good day, Sasuke."

Kakashi rested his hand on Sasuke's, coaxing the boy to lie on his stomach again. When the teen struggled faintly, the Jonin said, "I'm not going to hurt you. Let me continue with the massage or you'll hurt even more in the next few hours."

Sasuke did not want to carry on feeling the pain. Reluctantly, he flipped over and pillowed his head with his arms. He felt Kakashi brushing his shirt upwards to reveal a portion of his hip and resumed the comforting kneading motion. The teen closed his eyes, enjoying the powerful force on his flesh. Slowly, the pain faded as Kakashi worked soundlessly, occasionally clearing his throat to break the awkwardness once he felt it was getting too silent. Sasuke found himself almost wandering to sleep when Kakashi stopped his actions.

Quickly, Sasuke said, "'Right, I'll be taking my leave –"

His teacher pushed him gently back to the ground.

"Some ointment for your sore… got it from Sakura this morning. So, be patient," Kakashi said, swinging a dainty flat container for Sasuke to see. He waited for a response.

And Sasuke nodded. It was another back rub anyway.

That was when he realised Kakashi was tugging at his pants.

"Oi! What the hell –"

Sasuke fell back on his arms, gritting his teeth. After the massage, there was no pain. In fact, there was no feeling at all.

"What did you do to me?" Sasuke hissed.

Kakashi stopped his ministrations to look at his student. "I didn't explain as the paralysis will go away after I apply this," he said, showing the balm lodged in between his forefinger and middle finger.

Great, so he was rendered completely useless by his own teacher.

"It's for your own good. If you're displeased with me after this, you can do whatever you want. Deal?"

Sasuke burnt out of embarrassment. He sounded like an immature kid incapable of trusting an elder.

Sasuke rested his head on his arms again. Kakashi nodded and laid the balm on the ground. He then removed his Jonin vest and his black, long sleeved shirt, revealing a tight fitting sleeveless singlet which came with the mask he put on almost all the time.

"There, nothing to complain," Kakashi said, chuckling as he laid his shirt over Sasuke's lower region to preserve some modesty for the teen. Sasuke bit his lips.

"Err, this may sound preposterous, but… can you shift your legs?"

Kakashi held him gently at the ankle, spreading the legs as he positioned himself in between Sasuke's knees. The vulnerability the younger ninja felt was severe enough to grill him to ashes.

Calmly, Kakashi said, "Sakura said it won't hurt, I can't guarantee how you'd feel but –"

"It's fine."

As if he could put up a fight.

… But if Sakura said it would work, he would not mind trying that ointment…

"Okay."

Kakashi's shirt ruffled as the owner's hands went under it. He removed the shorts and paused to swipe some of the gel with his index finger. He had promised Sasuke that the teen could deal with him if he made Sasuke uncomfortable… his next action was as good as molesting the younger male.

Luckily he had paid for his health insurance. He would be able to pay for the hospital bill then.

With his left hand, Kakashi held Sasuke's left cheek. His thumb pressed into the fleshing globe to expose the puckered hole. Even though Kakashi could not see it, he knew _exactly _where he should be maneuvering his fingers. He rubbed the gel on the perimeter of the opening, halting when the teen trembled slightly.

"I'm fine," Sasuke informed when he felt Kakash's hesitancy.

The Jonin continued applying the icy cold gel on the outer ring of the anus, taking care in not brushing against any other body parts "accidentally". He parted the butt cheeks wider and slipped a section of his index finger into the abused canal. Sasuke choked, the cold feeling infiltrating the rawest section of his body. Kakashi's lean finger continued probing in and out, never lingering too long or too deep within him. It was as if the ministration were done with utmost respect.

Sasuke had never seen that in another man.

He relaxed. Kakashi was glad the teen was not going to chew his head off and eased his finger out. The shorts were slipped back to hug Sasuke's waist.

"Okay, now we're good to go."

Sasuke hoisted his body up.

Refreshed, that was what he felt. The black shirt slipped down his leg and he stooped down to retrieve it. Wonderful, even that did not cause him pain.

"Thanks," Sasuke said, handing the shirt over to his teacher. The older man smiled liberally, the crowfeet deepening in the sunset. "Can I have something else instead of a word of gratitude?"

So there was more to the generosity Kakashi showed earlier. Bastard…

"What?"

"Can you tell me why you need the money so urgently?"

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat. His hand flew to his pocket. It was still there, the lump of gold was still there.

"I didn't take any of your money."

"I – tsc."

No, that was not what he thought. He knew Kakashi would never nick money from anyone.

"If you don't want to tell me…" The charm in his eyes faded. "I already know what you're doing behind our back."

Sasuke knew. He knew nothing escaped his teacher's eyes – they always appeared droopy but he knew better. Those were the eyes which saw war, anguish and death. Those eyes were piercing.

"I've done some background research on the ANBU. _Aoi_, as he's called nowadays."

Sasuke stood his ground, listening to the horrible truths Kakashi was telling.

"He serves five rich businessmen who have recently come to Konoha for a business deal. Their base is that gay bar we talked about. The one you entered."

Sasuke swallowed. Kakashi was getting to the main point.

"Do you know what they run in that bar, Sasuke? I heard it's a bet with lucrative prizes to be won. A black haired shinobi aged only 16 was the center of the bet since he is supposed to participate in three challenges."

He was really done for.

"How many rounds have you finished?"

There, a secret he wanted to take to his grave was known to none other but his teacher.

"1."

Kakashi exhaled, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You've brought woe onto yourself, Sasuke."

He did not need someone else to tell him that. He knew he was in dip shit for several hours already.

"When will Round 2 commence?"

"I don't know."

He was so eager to start Round 1 yet now, he wanted to terminate the contract and return to his previous tranquil life. It was a dirty thing; participating in an erotic bet.

"Well, somehow somewhere you've got to endure this; might as well do it for the money."

Sasuke flinched at the unforgiving words. Now, in Kakashi's eyes he was lower than thrash.

As if he cared.


	7. Got Changed

They were sitting silently opposite each other across the hall, one lounging on the floor and the other standing stonily by the doorway. The one on the floor was reading the daily papers, flipping from one page to another as the other occupant stared at his guest with eyes so piercing there were imaginary holes forming on the nuisance.

The nuisance came in the form of a certain man dressed in ANBU uniform.

"What are you doing here?"

"Hmm mm… reading…"

He turned to the comics and chuckled at a strip.

"I don't need you around anymore. Round 1 is finished and you can haul your ass off my house this instant."

Aoi looked up at the irritated boy. If Sasuke had the energy to toss him away from his hall, the kid was most probably doing all right. He was relieved.

"Okay… no need to get so agitated. I'm leaving."

Sasuke moved out of his way as Aoi walked to the door. On the door mat however, the latter turned to face the younger ninja.

"Round 2 will commence in 4 days."

"What? 4 days?"

Why could Aoi not remember the news when they were safe in the hall? Sasuke glared at a neighbour who was looking furtively at them talking quietly by the corridor. He knew his village well; there was plenty of eavesdroppers in Konoha.

"Damn it Aoi, you should've told me inside!" Sasuke muttered angrily.

"Isn't it the same whether I'm saying this inside the house or not? You're still going to the bar in 4 days."

"People – someone might listen," the teen ended a little too indecisively.

Kakashi's words yesterday still had their effect on him. They were as good as telling Sasuke that he was whoring himself for money. A prideful shinobi of the Leaf surrendered his fate to a ridiculous bet? Money, women and wine… they lead to the downfall of a ninja. And Sasuke was zooming straight towards it.

"Ichi-sama had been considerate. They allow you generous amount of time to recuperate silently at home."

The teen nodded, barely paying attention to the other man.

"Did something happen? You don't seem happy."

Busy body Aoi…

"Ninjas aren't supposed to feel happy," Sasuke retorted, his hand on the door knob. "4 days isn't it? I'll be there."

"Ah, no need to sound so disgruntled. It is the second last bet after all."

Aoi was looking at it from an optimistic perspective. Sasuke on the other hand failed to see the logic in it. The second round was still his second round – signifying his state as Ichi's prisoner.

"Whatever. See you in _4 days_."

Impertinently, Aoi said, "Can't promise you that."

He suddenly leaned forward and tilted his head, his lips hovering above Sasuke's as his breath warming the other's flabbergasted face. He stopped for a while and his eyelids closed a fraction.

"See you later – or not."

Aoi grimaced, still wearing a hurt smile when he felt cold metal stinging his jugular vein. That was how Sasuke viewed him. He stayed still. He reasoned that Sasuke would not possibly lay waste on him; even though the logic was convoluted, they were still more than acquaintances. He had seen Sasuke in a more intimate manner anyway. That alone should set him apart from the teen's other common friends. But as the drawn kunai nicked his neck, Aoi had to admit that Sasuke would not hesitate killing him there and then.

As the weapon was lifted and returned skillfully into the back pouch, Aoi slipped the ANBU mask on and straightened up.

"I didn't intend to cause discomfort or anything. See you later."

And he was gone.

Sasuke's grip on the door handle trembled. He realised how he felt. Participating in the bet was a wrong decision after all. Too bad, no matter how bad he hated external touches he still had to plough on.

If Aoi ever did that again, Sasuke was certain his hand would not shake.

--

Ask help from a medic nin – _not going to happen._

Ask Iruka-sensei – _haven't talked to him in ages._

Ask Sakura who was also a medic nin – _I'd rather be dead._

Sasuke banged his forehead repeatedly against the wall of his house. He had to prepare himself _mentally _for the next round. It would be worse if he could not anticipate what was coming for him and the best way out of the mess was to educate himself about homosexual relationship. In truth, he did not know how much of a homo he was. There were not many people he could consult as socializing and making friends were some of the things he disliked. Now, he found himself in dire need of a close companion.

_Naruto._

Rather, he found himself in dire need of a close companion who was _reliable _and could keep his mouth _sewed shut_.

If human beings were out of the picture, he had to turn to books.

The problem was, Konoha's library was not equipped with… reading materials addressing taboo subject. Being gay was not a norm in the village therefore it was highly unlikely for him to look for the info he needed there.

Kakashi had his insufferable collections of Icha Icha Paradise at home (no doubt somewhere close to his bed). Sasuke wondered if his teacher would lend him a copy. But the memory of Kakashi touching him in places where Iruka said should be left untouched burnt clearly into his memory. Sasuke could not even look at his teacher the same way he used to, what's more asking for a favour.

Oh, there was one more corner in Konoha which sold what he was searching for – the old bookstore Naruto and Konohamaru used to frequent when they were researching "Oiroke no jutsu". If it had dirty stuff there, Sasuke still had hope in finding something worthwhile.

So he took a shortcut to the shop – he found himself detesting being in the presence of a crowd – and lurked outside of the alley. Even though his reputation was not as clean, he felt he had to keep it as untarnished as possible even at the cost of… humiliating another innocent people.

"Henge no jutsu."

As the smoke cleared behind wooden barrels, a teenage boy with blonde spikes wearing orange jumpsuit came into view. He walked out of the alley and glanced around, making sure there was nobody he knew around. Then swiftly he entered the bookshop.

Sasuke apologized inwardly to Naruto for using him without permission – and for a awful reason at that. Even if he was discovered, he hoped his friend would understand. Sasuke snorted at his own musings. How could Naruto understand if he was not going to explain anything? Oh yes, he shut his mouth in front of Kakashi, he was going to do the same to Naruto.

He sauntered down the heaps of dusty bookcases, stopping once in a while to get a better look at the titles offered. When he reached the "Mature Section" nervousness got the better of him. It took him two pointless strolls around the store before he finally edged into the department. And that was also because the owner had yelled something like, "Naruto, enough walking! If you want to enter the "Mature Section", enter already! I've never seen you this hesitant before!"

It hit him that Naruto was probably a regular – the idiot was Jiraiya-sama's apprentice after all.

The first thing which caught his eyes was the row of orange and green – Kakashi's favourite novels. He thumbed into the middle page and tossed it back into its place within the next few seconds; the chapter was about heterosexual love-making. He walked past posters of half-naked ladies in compromising poses and did not even bother to look twice. Without so much as a bat of an eyelid, Sasuke had reached the darkest corner of the area.

Then he saw his treasure.

The jackets of the books were painted with explicit steamy scenes. Doujinshi, manga, novels and even art books were present in heaps. That was it; he had to camp out in this rotten place until he got to read everything. Before he could reach for a book (its title seemed to be mellow enough – "Deep within You") a shadow loomed behind his back.

Sasuke spun around hastily and dropped the novel but the figure caught it before it hit the floor.

At the sight of this new presence, Sasuke's jaw fell to knee level.

"Wow Sasuke, I would never have _thought!_"

The speaker had black hair which stuck up stubbornly at the back. His complexion was pale and his voice sounded as haughty as he could remember. Of course he would remember; that voice belonged to _him._

Sasuke found himself staring into a physical copy of his own body. Was it a clone? Who did the clone?

"Surprised, 'ttebayo?"

Instantly Sasuke's eyes narrowed to slits. But of course…

"Idiot…"

"Hah, you're the idiot this time, Sasuke. Why'd you impersonate _me?_" Naruto studied the title of the book he was holding and laughed heartily, "Sasuke! I really didn't expect this! You read yaoi?"

"What?"

Naruto slapped Sasuke's back enthusiastically. Knowing that keeping the pretense was of no use, Sasuke undid his Henge and reverted back to his normal self – Naruto followed suit.

"How come you Henge-ed into me, Naruto? You couldn't have seen me here."

"See you? Here? Nobody with normal eyesight can see you crouching in the dark!" Naruto said, chucking the novel onto its stack. "I saw you – well, me – wondering in the front section. I thought of attacking you with a kunai or something until I noticed it was you."

"How do you know it was me?" Sasuke asked shrewdly.

"I don't know… instincts?"

The raven haired teen snorted at his friend's answer. Well, all his effort for naught. He made for the main entrance when his friend tugged at his elbow.

"Hey Sasuke, I'm wondering."

"What now?"

Naruto cupped his mouth and beckoned Sasuke to inch closer. Grudgingly Sasuke lowered his ear by Naruto's mouth.

"Are you having the urge?"

"Wh – you're disgusting!"

He pushed the blonde away into a pile of books and exited the store. He heard Naruto calling and he sped off to the river where it would be _quiet. _He knew Naruto was hot on his trails but he did not bother telling the ninja to back off. Now everyone significant to him was associating sex with his name. It could not feel anymore worse.

"Sasuke! Wait – what's wrong with you!"

They maintained the speed; the one pursued charged forward at full power as the one pursuing was forced to keep up. At last, the soothing rushing of water down the brook caused Sasuke to slow down and finally returned to normal walking pace. Naruto landed beside him on the lush grass. Sasuke closed his eyes, waiting for strings of meaningless babbles.

"Oh, I've been to the river but never this part of it."

Naruto had settled on the ground, observing the view.

"Aha, I'm always over there by the big boulder! Can you see it?" he pointed. Sasuke's eyes followed.

"That's where I get my fishes. It's like the fishes mate there or something. You won't go back empty handed!"

And he grinned. Sasuke sighed, sitting beside his friend with his head tilted up towards the sky. If Naruto was done with talking rubbish, he could bear with his presence this time. The blonde ninja laid back, his arms tucked behind his head. It was not everyday they got to hang out together as friends, enjoying the clouds and afternoon wind. Even then, Naruto wished the atmosphere would be slightly less depressing.

"I'm not trying to interfere with your life but you seem off these few days."

Sasuke said nothing and continued staring at the clouds.

"At first I thought I'd hurt you during training but now, I'm pretty sure it's not it."

The other grunted. He was compelled to yelling, demanding attention or some proper feedbacks. Nevertheless, with such a depressing response, the raven-haired teen could use some joke. Naruto sat up again and balanced himself on all four limbs.

"What are you –?"

He turned to face Sasuke and clamped each hand on the latter's shoulders rather tightly. Slowly, Naruto's face inched nearer.

"Oi, cut it –"

"Oiroke no jutsu!"

Poof!

"Ghh – what the HELL are you doing?"

Naruto knew this was the _perfect _cure. Long golden tresses flew down his – in this case, her – shoulders, her busty figure pressed firmly into Sasuke's warm body and her pouty lips arched into a playful grin.

"How's this Sasuke?"

"What ON EARTH are you thinking, idiot? Go back to your self!"

Naruto clung tighter to Sasuke and rubbed her breasts intentionally into his chest.

"What do you mean, Sasuke? Don't you want this?" Naruto asked in the most honeyed voice he could muster. The things he would do for his friend… the bastard better appreciate his effort.

"Oi, get OFF!"

Naruto let go of his death grip and was pushed away. Sasuke was ready to flee the scene but when he accidentally looked into the region between Naruto's opened thighs, he flushed and stumbled back onto the ground.

"Chance! Kage Bunshin no jutsu! Oiroke no jutsu!"

At first, four other Naruto surrounded him. His brain was still in short-circuit mode when he told himself he was going to wallop Naruto to pulp if the idiot did not allow him to leave. That was when the Bunshin Naruto poofed and assumed identities of several sexy, well endowed girls.

"You – Naruto!"

"Hush Sasuke-_kun_. Let's have fun this… err, afternoon."

"Go away – stop pulling – oi!"

Naruto had gone too far.

Sasuke swung his body around and grabbed a couple of the ladies he managed to get into contact. He threw them into the stream and kicked the remaining three at their calves.

All of the clones vanished.

A loud drenching noise erupted by the bank and a discomposed Naruto emerged from the water. He pulled himself up and shot Sasuke the dirtiest glare he could produce.

"Have you ever heard of the word 'thank you'? D'you know how to express gratitude?"

"What? You want me to thank _you _for that nonsense?" Sasuke belted in disbelief.

Naruto slogged to where Sasuke was, sludge and weeds tangled in his hair and shirt. He sank heavily onto the ground and said, "Damn Sasuke… I can't believe it! Everyone falls for that jutsu but you! What are you made of?"

Again, Sasuke gave Naruto a disgusted look. The latter shook his head and pulled grass from behind his ear. "Are you sexually dead? You don't show any reaction at all."

Sasuke could feel a blush creeping up.

He was _not _sexually dead, was he?

"You show too much reaction when other guys are near you, you ignore the girls in academy, you read _yaoi_..." and comprehension dawned. Naruto scanned Sasuke's face. "Oh, I didn't know you swing that way."

"Swing that way – I'm not gay," he blurted a bit too quickly.

"Whatever you say."

Naruto did not sound as if he believed the denial.

"Listen, Naruto, I –"

"Are you on to something important?"

A brief pause interrupted their awkward conversation. Sasuke ruffled his hair and said, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's very unlikely of you to be so… _desperate._"

The blonde had never been subtle in his words. What made Sasuke think that his friend would be sensitive in his speech now?

"That's my business."

"Hah, back to you 'leave me alone' self huh?"

Naruto quieted and dropped the subject. It would be for the better; Sasuke was not in the mood to pursue the topic further.

"Well, too bad. I don't swing that way."

"I didn't ask anything."

"Yeah, just thought I'd let that be known."

As the minute passed dreadfully, Sasuke was starting to itch for vigorous movements. Several laps about the village or an hour of kunai practice would be nice. At the very least, he could rid himself of the embarrassing moment.

"Oh, Sasuke!" the blonde exclaimed suddenly.

He squatted before Sasuke who was taken aback at the sudden closeness. Naruto saw the body movement and stayed put, allowing Sasuke to put as much distance as he would like between them. It looked like he was going to have to talk from where he was.

"I can teach you another way. I guarantee it works perfectly fine."

"For what?" Sasuke asked.

"Pleasuring yourself."

Sasuke's mouth was still hanging open. Naruto misread the action and assumed that his friend had wanted to know more. So he continued, "The easiest way to do that yourself is by touching… _there_."

Naruto's eyes dropped and Sasuke immediately closed his legs. Scrambling to a more decent sitting pose, he flexed his fists. He would have threatened the fool to shut his yak but his voice would not work.

"But you can't just be touching. There's a trick to it."

Sasuke's heart was practically pounding in his ears. Was he actually having a talk like this with Naruto?

"You got to think of someone whose body you crave. Imagine her doing things that will make you melt, concentrate on the feel of her soul on yours… ah, though in your case it would be a _he_ huh?"

His mouth was still opened…

Naruto laughed nervously; obviously ashamed of the spicy conversation.

"Well, I'll see you around, Sasuke. Got to go back now… err, laundry, yeah."

The black haired teen cleared his very dry throat, coming to a stand as Naruto did the same.

"Yeah, you better. See you."

As soon as Sasuke bade him goodbye, Naruto sent himself hurling through the trees in Konoha's general direction.

First Kakashi, now Naruto. How many more friends he would have to sacrifice before the bet end?

But, were Naruto's tips dependable? Was that what he was missing? A motivation?

Sasuke sat back on the grass, pondering on his friend's words. He _was _alone and he had all the time in the world today… it would not hurt giving it a go would it? Sasuke pulled the zip down and slipped his hand into his briefs, gripping his penis. So far, no reaction… hell that was what he did everyday in front of the urinary pot… Naruto said thinking of a person helped. Unfortunately he had yet to discover such person in his life. There was no way he could do this. The last time he masturbated was with the help of the vibrator. He remembered crouching by the deserted lane, failing to cum with the steady strokes on his manhood as the sole stimulation. He definitely needed what Naruto said he would need.

Loud laughter broke the silence and a heavy thud was heard from a tree behind as someone rolled into view. The figure was pressing his stomach as his body convulsed in mirth. Sasuke paid no real attention to the intruder and focused in zipping up his pants.

"Sasuke…" the person breathed, still giddy from laughing.

The teen approached the lying outline cautiously, a kunai readied in his grip. An ANBU porcelain mask was covering the person's face and Sasuke felt anger rushed through. His hold on the weapon tightened and he swung it down towards the man. And all of a sudden, his vision went black and something heavy was pressed upon his chest. Breathing was slightly difficult and he lashed about as hard as he could.

"Aoi!" he managed to get the name out. "Get off me!"

The older man chuckled, lifting his torso up but kept the other male successfully pinned below him. "Hello again."

"I _told _you to get lost for 4 days! Is that so difficult?" Sasuke fumed.

"Sasuke…"

Something was not right with Aoi. The teen eyed the ANBU warily.

"Sasuke, I saw what you did with Naruto-kun. Or actually, what he was teaching you to do."

The teen twirled the kunai around, spinning the handle around his index finger and brought the treacherous edge into Aoi's back. As quickly as he did that, Aoi had already seized his wrist and twisted the weapon out of his clench. Sasuke's brief cry of pain and shock shattered Aoi through and through. His self-restrain was fading..

Both metal and Sasuke's injured arm fell limply. Aoi retrieved the weapon and raised it in front of his prisoner.

"You forgot, I wasn't in ANBU for nothing."

The teen's eyes shuttled back and forth from the kunai to the current wielder's face. What could Aoi to do to him? They needed him healthy and well for the bet to go on. He was worth a lot more than the perverted ANBU.

"Release me or you'll regret whatever you're going to do."

"Afraid?" Aoi whispered, his face once again inching nearer like this morning.

"Hard –"

Without waiting for Sasuke to complete his retaliation, Aoi brushed his lips against Sasuke's. He knew the teen was going to protest so calmly, he pressed deeper and sealed the minute distance between them. Sasuke gave no reactions; the shock must have been immense. Aoi massaged on, encouraging the other ninja to at least response a bit.

Then he remembered this was probably Sasuke's first kissing experience. The urge to laugh rose again.

"Ah… I forgot. Anyway, since Naruto-kun had taught you the essentials, I'm going to _coach_ you." His lips returned to Sasuke's. "First hand experience."

Aoi's free hand searched for Sasuke's left and he held it gently, their fingers intertwined on the grass beside Sasuke's head. Failing to coax the teen to reply the kiss, Aoi said, "Open your mouth a bit."

He flung the kunai where it got stuck in a tree trunk and brought his now unoccupied hand close to Sasuke's chin. With his thumb he tugged at the smooth area there. The teen inadvertently complied to Aoi's wish and the older man slipped his tongue in, caressing every inch of Sasuke's cavern. The younger male's breath hitched, his eyes screwed shut at Aoi's warm muscle darted relentlessly through his lips.

When they broke away, Sasuke wiped at his mouth furiously but almost bit into his knuckles when something _disturbing _was digging into his inner thighs.

"Sasuke… lesson is not over."

Aoi's wide palm slid below Sasuke's waist and he lifted the latter's lower region to meet his growing erection. He grounded into the teen, his jaws set as he felt Sasuke squeezing his fingers in his hand.

"I'm going to touch your properly today."

With a swift push, Aoi hoisted Sasuke's disrupting shirt over his chest. Not wanting to listen to Sasuke's complaint, he took the lips again and pressed a palm into the younger man's stomach. The flow of chakra and blood was rapid – Aoi could feel the current just below the skin. He was indulging so much in the moment that he had forgotten to allow time for a breather. For a change, he littered kisses on Sasuke's throat. The boy was panting; Aoi's palm followed every rise and fall of his ribcage. The older man retracted his tongue from Sasuke's mouth (the boy was starting to bite) and kissed lightly on the edge of his jaw line while he pushed the pad of his forefinger into Sasuke's right nipple. The teen's hand clenched harder and Aoi smiled against Sasuke's temple. He scraped the areole with his finger nail and bit the earlobe lightly.

"Gh – okay, I get it – let go –"

Aoi grazed his manhood against Sasuke's; more excitement shot into that area.

"Sasuke, I can't… I'm sorry, I'll have to take –"

And Sasuke heard no more pleadings. Coldness swept above his body and the pressure on his chest was lifted. Sasuke opened his eyes and found himself staring into the sky instead of Aoi's hazy eyes. Then the verdant spot beside him compressed somewhat when a foot sank in.

"Yo, having fun?"

Instinctively Sasuke took out another kunai and slashed at the person's direction. But his arm was caught deftly in that familiar gloved hand. Sasuke winced, anticipating another twist of his previously injured wrist.

"You've fractured your carpus."

Something heavy plopped on the muddy river bank; Aoi appeared in the same condition as Naruto just half an hour back. He spat weed from his mouth and hissed, "Kakashi-san."

The silver-haired man eased the kunai out from Sasuke's grip. He wedged it between his forefinger and middle finger, his eyes narrowing as a cold smile graced his masked visage. "I'd appreciate it if you keep yourself away from my student."

And the blade suddenly pierced the soft ground before Aoi, a few centimeters off his splayed palm.

"If I catch you doing the same thing to Sasuke, I won't miss my aim."

Aoi could only glare poisonously at the Jonin. He chanced a look at Sasuke who had suddenly gained interest in the kunai stuck into the river bank. Kakashi held Sasuke by the shoulder and steered him away.

A prodigy sometimes could be idiotic in defending for his rights and wants. Kakashi would have to drill some sense into his innocent student. If only he was as assertive as Naruto.


	8. Help Me, Neji

Sasuke trotted dolefully behind his teacher, making sure he was lagging a couple of steps from the silent man. Kakashi was soundless on almost all occasions but his silence _now _was less than comforting. There seemed to be things running through his mind and Sasuke could make a guess what his teacher was thinking. If he could choose between an enraged Kakashi and a moody one like the man walking in front of him, he would gladly choose the aforementioned. Come to think of it, this was also the first time he had spoken to Kakashi after their fateful meet one day ago.

Kakashi did not speak to him at all after the incident with Aoi; they kept on walking into the town center with no words exchanged in between. Sasuke thought his teacher was going to escort him back home but when they took a turn into the bustling shopping area, Sasuke stopped. Kakashi halted in his tracks and look behind at the teen. "What's wrong?"

"Where are we going?"

Kakashi shrugged and assumed his typical casual standing pose. "Shopping."

"Shopping," Sasuke repeated, his feet still locked to the ground. He was expecting a nice long bath at home, not running around buying things. "I'm not going. You can do it yourself," he finally said, turning away from his teacher.

"You have to follow. This is a part of the mission. I have to prepare you for it."

"Do it tomorrow," Sasuke replied as he started walking in the opposite direction.

"Sasuke."

The cold, reprimanding voice ebbed into his consciousness. Kakashi sounded almost like that when he threatened Aoi at the river bank just minutes ago. Sasuke knew it; the Jonin was not pleased.

"You are not going to complain like some pitiful brat after whatever nonsense had happened back then."

The flames in Kakashi's doleful eyes were alight. Seeing Kakashi that way was… _frightening._

"You're coming."

He ended their little conversation as coldly as he began it and walked off into the nearest apothecary by the corner. Kakashi did not even bother to wait for the teen; he just assumed Sasuke was going to obey. Could Sasuke not obey? By the time he reached the doorway, Kakashi was already placing a couple of bottles into a paper bag. Sasuke scanned the medicine rack behind the counter and noted labels for herbs found locally in Konoha; there are a couple of rejuvenation pills made by the Nara clan and even a row of aphrodisiacs. He looked around some more, his interests piquing by the minute. If he was not a shinobi, he would probably be thinking of becoming a chemist or a drug dispenser. He only came to awareness when Kakashi ruffled his hair the way he always did with him and Naruto and said, "Let's go."

Kakashi was always aloof when he was by himself. Sasuke could not deny that the caring side of his teacher was appealing, yet at the same time intimidating simply because he was not used to that better side. It made the gap between the man and his students wider even though they had been in life-threatening situations together for so many times. Team 7 was his family. Kakashi alone was not.

Sasuke jogged along the streets to catch up to his teacher. The Jonin was ticking his fingers off mentally; remembering what else there was to buy. When they passed by the village's boutique, he stopped.

"Over here, Sasuke."

"I don't need new clothes," Sasuke stated firmly. He wanted to keep his money for something else.

"You're not going to pay for it. It's all under the mission's expenditure."

Sasuke moved to Kakashi's side as a wheelbarrow trudged behind him. "Why do I need new clothes for it? Can't I wear my usuals?"

"Not this time," Kakashi sighed, opening the door and held it ajar. There was no way out then; Sasuke clicked his tongue and walked in. The attendant was all smiles when she greeted her customers. Kakashi returned the gesture half-heartedly as he bent down to whisper something into her ears. Sasuke crossed his arms and leaned against the glass window, his face showing no signs of interest in the store.

"As you wish," the attendant said, leaving the ninjas alone. Sasuke saw that she attended to another pair of customers at the other row instead and Kakashi was already making his way to the upper storey.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her to leave us alone. We can handle our shopping well enough," the older man said as they ascended the stairs. Sasuke followed in silence again and only when he reached the upper ground that he realised what department it was; lingerie and bath robes.

"What the – I'm out of here."

Before he could do so, Kakashi caught his wrist and pulled him back. The surprise held his voice in but the jolting pain which came in full throb expressed itself on the surface of his visage. Upon noticing Sasuke's wince, he released the teen and unwrap his purchase from the medicine store.

"Sit down," Kakashi said, sitting down on the carpeted floor himself.

Sasuke lowered himself, his good hand supporting the injured one. His teacher took the fractured wrist and nursed it with one of the ointments he bought earlier. Sasuke watched as his teacher worked and when his eyes rested on three other bottles in the bag, he asked, "Why did you buy so many?"

"They're all for the mission. And it's all paid for."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow. "You use the mission's money to buy personal items?"

"That's how cheapskate I am to you huh?" And he emphasised on his words with a harder rub on the bones. The teen gasped again and Kakashi quickly eased the discomfort with firm circles on the wrist. He heard hushed curses muttered below breath but it was fine by him; he was used to Sasuke's impudence.

"Okay," Kakashi said, repacking his medicine and pocketed them carefully. "According to the list, we need… uh, a number of robes. If we have extra time, we can shop for new undies as well," Kakashi added, browsing the space with a tinge of amused grin.

"One more joke out and I swear I'll poison your dinner after this."

The next thing Kakashi did was ruffling the teen's hair again. Then his eyes narrowed in a fresh grin and he said, "I wish I was only joking too, Sasuke."

Kakashi's crowfeet did not crumple. Kakashi was not happy.

The Jonin backed off and started picking off robes from the racks at random. To Sasuke it seemed random but when he studied the attires slinging down Kakashi's forearm, they were all of the neutral and lighter tones – white, blue, very pale grey… He would not care much for designs but if he was going to wear it out in the open, they better not be disgraceful.

"Sasuke, come here!" Kakashi shouted from the other corner of the room. His teacher had already sorted out the clothes and there were about four or five removed from their hangers. He probably had to try on those since Kakashi was beckoning him into a changing cubicle and he was right; the Jonin handed those chose robes over and hurried him into the unoccupied booth.

A couple of minutes passed and Kakashi had already returned from rearranging the robes he did not want at their respective racks. Sasuke had not exited the room.

"I need you to come out when you put on a new set," Kakashi said.

There was no reply from within.

Perhaps Sasuke was already out? But he saw feet from the gap beneath the curtain.

"Sasuke?"

He parted the screen and found the teen staring blankly into the mirror. Sasuke was already dressed in his robe, the smooth satin fabric flowing seamlessly from his shoulders. Sasuke's black eyes flickered to his teacher's reflection and he whirled around, clutching the robes tighter to his body.

"Why did you enter?" he asked heatedly, pushing the older ninja away from the room.

"You didn't answer when I call you – Sasuke, stop pushing!"

At the spur of the moment, Kakashi tripped Sasuke's ankle with a kick causing the latter to fall back. His body now jammed tight in the corner, Kakashi held him in place with his own larger self. Sasuke was getting more uptight but the Jonin did not grant the younger man some time to calm himself; he pushed the robes down Sasuke's right shoulder, baring the skin under the dim light. The teen immediately clamped a hand over the base of his neck, his irises dilated in shock.

He did not know when, but Aoi had left a love bite there. The dark blue blemish stained his body very vividly.

And worst of all, Kakashi saw it.

He expected Kakashi to turn a cold heart over him again; he could feel his teacher's disgust with what he was doing outside his duty as a ninja – he called it his personal life. But Kakashi did not move. In fact, he hooked a finger under the knot of the sash around his waist and tugged at it lightly. It gave way, sliding down to the ground as the robes parted, exposing Sasuke's torso to the chilly air. Goosebumps rose and the robes provided no heat at all; in fact, the fabric was stealing his body warmth.

His shivers were almost dismissible but not the sight of his erect nipples poking through the satin. Sasuke struggled to cover his chest but he found no space to move or even squirm. Kakashi's eyes swept over his student's form and Sasuke looked in horror when he noticed how his teacher's eyes lingered a fraction longer at the stiffness on his chest.

His voice died again. It seemed to have died so many times on him when he most needed it.

The confusion ended abruptly; Kakashi straightened up and tossed Sasuke's hanging clothes at the silent teen.

"Get dressed."

And he pulled the curtain behind him, his light footsteps getting fainter to Sasuke's ears.

--

Time had a natural habit of speeding up when he least expected it.

Within a blink of an eye, 3 days had faded and the date of the commencement of Round 2 was looming closer. In fact, he would have to go to the bar by this afternoon. Sasuke had already deposited his gold in the bank; that was the first thing he did when his legs started functioning after Round 1. He opened a new account under a different name (Henge was a _very _useful technique) and planned to assume that identity after he left Konoha. He would only wear the name Uchiha on his back to honour his reunion with Itachi – the day when he was going to murder his older sibling. Until then, the gold would have to be safeguarded by the many layers of the bank's vault, if they had one. Whatever, the gold was insured anyway.

The bar was still in the same condition as he remembered it. The same rowdiness and vulgarity… the same –

Sasuke looked around, casting his eyes over every nook and corner of the bar. He knew he was nearby. He must be.

"Sasuke, long time no see."

The teen immediately hooked his kunai around his finger and spun around, aiming for the speaker's throat. The man – Aoi – stood still, his hands limp by his sides. Sasuke had calculated how Aoi would react and had braced his body for the appropriate reflex. When the blade was near Aoi's throat, Sasuke prepared himself.

But Aoi never reacted.

"Tsk –"

Sasuke swung the kunai's handle around so that the sharp tip faced his elbow, the circular end of the grip digging into the ANBU's jugular. Aoi's lips curved into a mournful smile, his hands neither twitching nor clenching.

"What the hell are you thinking? You should've defended yourself," Sasuke spat, lowering the weapon.

"But I was ready to die by your hands."

"Don't joke around with something like that, bastard. I only want to kill one person." Sasuke replaced his kunai into his weapon pouch and turned his back against Aoi. "And that person is not you. I don't want to taint my hands with the likes of you."

Sasuke stalked off, making his way towards the center stage. He saw a man with a tattooed cheek on the stage – Ichi – and headed straight for it.

"You're cruel… Sasuke."

There were so many people huddling around the raised up ground and Sasuke had to force entry to reach Ichi. When he pushed past the audience, he had the feeling that they were mentally raping him, looking at him with condescending eyes. So he activated his Sharingan, reminding them who he was and ultimately to keep their hands to themselves. It must have worked; they put an agreeable distance in between and had even made a clear pathway for him to walk onto the stage. But he could not stop them from clapping their palms off as he approached Ichi.

"Good day, Sasuke-kun. I see that you're all healthy and well."

Ichi joined in the applause and Sasuke let them. He looked at the crowd with a bored face but looked away when he almost made eye contact with Aoi who was skulking in the farthest corner.

"Eh, but I wonder if this is acceptable. He _is _16 after all."

Another man who was slightly taller than Ichi stepped onto the stage. He did not look at Sasuke even once and leaned down to talk to his comrade instead. Sasuke threw his eyes over the bar again and he purposely searched for Aoi. This time, the man was gone. He was nowhere to be found on the floor.

"It's okay, Yon. The first round did not differ much that this one."

"If you say so."

"You take charge instead. I have to meet that client in half an hour."

The man called Yon nodded and took the microphone from Ichi. The latter clapped on Sasuke's back encouragingly before exiting. Sasuke sighed, knowing spending time on stage with an unknown figure like Yon was far from enjoyable.

Hell, how could something like this be enjoyable?

"Sasuke-kun, I have to remind you that whatever we have arranged for you in Round 2, you cannot back down."

"I know."

Yon nodded and addressed the crowd. "Gentlemen, welcome to Round 2. We have here our young volunteer, all ready for the next challenge."

That was when he felt a new presence on stage. He did not need to look at it; Aoi's voice permeated the scene when he spoke to his master, "Yon-sama, the video recorder as ordered."

Yon accepted the device from the ANBU and placed it on the table; the very same table where Sasuke had leant over twice 4 days ago.

"The challenge will be more challenging than Round 1. Sasuke-kun has proven that he had the vigour to take on such task so will we increase the difficulty this time?"

The crowd hooted. They wanted the challenge to be as tough as possible; they wanted to win the money lost from the previous bet. Yon continued, "The assignment itself is rather simple though. Even then, the prize up for grab is 20 000 gold pieces."

Sasuke was utterly shocked at the amount. If Round 2 promised so much money…

"Okay. What's the challenge?" Sasuke asked despite his previous nervousness. Yon balanced the video cam in free hand, flipping it into the air before catching it neatly again. His visage was bitter unlike Ichi who was smiles all over the places.

"You have to seduce someone to jack you off in front of this camera. 3 persons, in fact," Yon said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Anxiety came banging into his heart at full blast. If he thought Round 1 was humiliating, Round 2 would successfully fry his pride to crisp. Then again, there were so many girls who were willing to throw themselves at him. It should be a brisk.

"We did some research on you and found out how popular you are with the kunoichi. But you should know better than to ask them for help. This _is _a gay bar after all."

Sasuke gulped, staring at Yon.

"You mean I've got to ask guys to do it?"

"Yes."

"3 of them?"

"Yes."

He was practically dead due to sheer embarrassment.

"You've got 2 days to complete Round 2. That's enough time for you to recover and hunt for new victims. Get all 3 or you won't get any gold at all. Oh yes…"

Stamina was the last on his worry list. Who was he supposed to look for? He could not throw himself at any stranger by the road, he would never buy a prostitute to do it for him and he would die before he asked his friends for such a favour. Round 2 was not just "more difficult" – it was on the brink of "impossible to be done".

"This is the camera. You'll capture everything with this. And we'll sign one more contract."

Yon fished out a piece of paper and a pen. With the Sharingan eyes, Sasuke scanned the words and ran it very quickly in his mind, keeping an eye out for a loophole just like what he did with the previous contract. It said that the video would be destroyed once the challenge was over and the tape would be burnt by Sasuke himself in the bar after the Yon and Ichi had viewed it. All was in order, good. He would have another clean start at the end of Round 2 and the businessmen would have nothing to threaten him with, not with the video gone.

"Agree?"

Sasuke dropped his signature on the paper and handed it over to Yon. The latter switched the microphone off and waved at the crowd as if telling them it was okay to disperse. Sasuke got down the stage but Yon called after him, "Sasuke-kun! One more thing."

"What?"

"Aoi is also out of the question."

Sasuke raised his brow. That man's name had never been considered, not even once.

"I don't want him anywhere near my pants either."

Sasuke could only bring himself to blurt that out loud because he knew Aoi was no longer in the building.

--

The camera was going to be installed somewhere inconspicuous, somewhere hidden from view. He was not going to tell his "victims" what he was up to – how could he possibly reveal his involvement with a gay bar and an erotic bet which seemed to be getting more and more outrageous. Finding the setting was quite simple; he could always use his house and he would then invite someone over for a dinner or something. Getting the person to come into the camera's vicinity was also simple; he could call the person to enter the bedroom and surely said victim would come. The next thing was easier said than done. He could say, "Hey, want to feel good? Let's…"

Sasuke stopped walking, his stomach acid threatening to pour out. Seriously, he was going to lose this bet. There was no way he could bring himself to close contact with another guy, not after what Aoi had put him through. He told himself over and over how repulsive touches were to his body. Anybody's hands were unwanted; a stranger's, a relative's, a friend's…

But the money was too good. 20 000 gold pieces…

Sasuke shook his head and sped off towards the Jonin complex. That was the closest ninja headquarters from his location and if he were going to get someone, he might as well get someone he did not know well. That would ease the discomfiture, perhaps.

And so much for easing discomfiture; from the distance, Sasuke saw a tall, lean man with silver hair walking casually towards the very same complex he was heading too. Kakashi was absorbed in his porn again but knowing his teacher, Kakashi would have probably noticed his presence even before Sasuke saw Kakashi. How could he proceed now that the Jonin would be lounging around under the same roof where he would be cumming to some stranger?

If he really wanted to get on with it, he would have to do it fast. Seducing 1 man took long enough. And what about _3_?

"Oh, Sasuke. Nice to see you up and about."

A deep, almost monotonous voice rang in his ears. The person then walked abreast with him, tucking his long bangs behind his ears.

Hyuga Neji was also a Jonin. He got promoted this year and was the first one of his batch who had advanced to the rank of the elite shinobi. Neji was regarded as high as Kakashi in terms of title.

"Do you want to look for any particular Jonin?"

Sasuke cracked his brain. So many things that needed to be taken care of…

"Kakashi… there's something I need to see him about."

"I see."

They walked on in muteness, Sasuke looking around for candidates. The thought of scouring the area for victims would bring nightmares to his sleep but that could wait until night. Right now, he needed to look for a man.

"All right, I'll have to report myself in this room. Kakashi-san's department should be somewhere over there at the end of the corridor. If you can't find it, ask anybody. The Jonin in this place are helpful people."

Neji pushed the door open.

"_Damn…" _

Thinking nothing – his brain completely void of thoughts – Sasuke fastened a death grip on Neji's elbow and practically dragged the young Jonin along the pathway. Neji did not put up a struggle; it was possible that Sasuke's unexpected action intrigued Neji. He allowed himself to be lugged into a toilet. With two persons occupying the narrow space, Neji could feel the magnified discomfort between them and went to lean against the door.

"Right," Neji started, his fingers closing around the knob. "You don't want to look for Kakashi-san, but me?"

Sasuke said nothing. His bangs curtained his face as he stared at the floor.

"What do you want from me?"

Sasuke contemplated his next step.

Then he almost smacked his forehead. He had forgotten about the recording! He was not going to install the camera _now._ Not in front of Neji…

"When you're ready to tell me, you can look for me at the Hyuga complex. Good day, Sasuke."

Neji opened the door and was soon out of Sasuke's sight. Quickly he chucked the camera over the medicine cabinet. The device was thankfully small enough and there was a flower pot hiding the camera from open view. Neji could easily detect it with his Byakugan activated but considering what they were about to do, the young Jonin would not have the audacity to switch his kekkei genkai on would he?

"Neji, wait!"

He skidded to a halt and grabbed Neji's arm for the second time. He made it; Neji was about to enter the other room – it was off limits to non-Jonin.

"I'm okay, I can tell you what it is," Sasuke said, his grip tightening. Neji noticed the quirkiness of the other ninja. Sasuke, in his eyes, was always stoic, cold and unreachable. The teen would place himself far above others and he would glare down at his peers with indifference. To see Sasuke's eyes rich in emotions was unthinkable indeed.

"Okay. Are we going to the toilet again? The meeting room downstairs is free at the moment."

But the camera was in the toilet.

"No, the toilet is fine… can we go now?"

"Okay," the taller male replied, releasing the door handle.

The atmosphere did not change one bit even though Neji consented to be in the cubicle with Sasuke. The latter was still as jittery but his body language was less tense. Sasuke's fists were not balled into tight clumps and he was no longer gazing at his feet. Even then, Neji could not say Sasuke was looking at him at the eyes straight. He was merely looking at a spot a couple of centimeters off his ear.

"Sasuke, time's running," Neji said when Sasuke was silent for a complete minute.

Then a number of things happened in a flash. Sasuke slammed both hands on either side of Neji's head, trapping the Jonin against the door. He leaned on, reducing the gap between them and tilted his head up an angle to position his lips over Neji's.

"I… have to do this."

Sasuke slowly touched his lips experimentally against Neji's. When the older male did not push him away, Sasuke leaned upwards again and prolong the contact, stamping all over Neji's closed mouth with kisses as he tried to imitate Aoi, the only person he had ever kissed with. Even though the feel was not the same, Sasuke could care less. When Neji's lips quivered briefly, Sasuke pulled back and reality hit.

He could not do it.

And to add into the discomfort, Neji chuckled politely.

"Sasuke… I thought you were going to talk about something more serious. Like missions or weapons."

Neji dropped his hands to rest them on Sasuke's hips and he pushed the younger teen into his firm frame.

"If this is what you want, I can give it," Neji whispered into his ears. He left butterfly kisses on Sasuke's cheeks, carefully going downwards as Sasuke's eyes slid close. It would be so much easier if someone else was doing the work; he was not sure how he would get Neji to cooperate in the first place. Now that Neji knew what to do, Sasuke was somewhat relieved.

Little by little Neji reversed their positions so Sasuke was pinned against the door. The older teen gazed into Sasuke's face, looking for signs. Keeping his vision intent on his subject, Neji slid his knee between Sasuke's legs and held him in place. The younger teen had never felt so trapped before.

"Neji –"

"Do you want to stop?"

If he could, he would. But he could not. Sasuke shook his head and put on a fresh brave face. He tried to kiss Neji but the latter placed his finger on his lips, separating Sasuke's from his.

"Wh –"

"I'm sorry, but my kisses are meant for the woman I love."

Neji rested his head on Sasuke's shoulders, his knee brushing against Sasuke's crotch. The younger ninja's head thudded dully on the door as sparks of fire started to burn that area.

"You have a lover already?"

"No," Neji murmured, his hand running up and down on Sasuke's side. "I may have one, in the future. Hiashi-sama would like the Byakugan to continue existing. But the woman I have will be the one I love." His thumb found Sasuke's left nipple and he kneaded it through the clothes. "An Uchiha should be the only one who can understand the need to preserve our prided kekkei genkai."

Sasuke stared into the sink. Clans, families, heritage… they all bore no significance to the sole survivor of the massacre. Neji caught Sasuke's unfocused eyes when he lifted his head off the latter's shoulders.

"Did I touch a nerve?"

Sasuke came out of his reverie, watching Neji's head lowering.

"Don't get distracted, Sasuke. If you want it this much," Neji said, scrapping his teeth over the hardened nipple. The touch of the fabric and Neji's straight teeth forced Sasuke to push his fist into his mouth. "Savour the moment," Sasuke caught the last few words. Then Neji latched his mouth over the fabric, his tongue sliding over the coarse material. His lips closed around the nub and he sucked on it, spilling more saliva onto Sasuke's shirt.

"Neji… ah shit, you said you love women, but why the hell are you doing this to me?"

With one final flick of his tongue over the cloth-covered nipple, Neji sank lower, leaving a dark spot on Sasuke's chest. As the air-conditioner came into contact with the damp area, the teasing continued that suddenly, Sasuke felt incomplete at the loss of humid heat.

"If you must know, I'm not doing this for my own pleasure."

Sasuke sniggered and he pulled Neji up to eye level by the collar. How the hell could Neji say something like that when he was clearly absorbed in toying with Sasuke's sensitive flesh?

"Yeah, right Neji," Sasuke snarled. "Let me check that for myself."

Sasuke cupped the Jonin's manhood, anticipating a barely restrained penis suffering in its confinement.

There was none. It was lifeless in his grasp. Even when he gripped at the limp bulge – that was until Neji slapped his hand away – there was no twitching, no signs of excitement from the Jonin.

"You're not gaining anything from this. Then why did you agree to do it?" Sasuke asked, bewildered. Neji smiled, lowering himself once more.

"In missions, guys tend to get… _desperate._ I was merely assisting them, satiating their wants."

Neji saw Sasuke's navel on the flat abdomen when he was down on his knee. He brushed the hem of the shirt away, dipping his tongue inside the crook. Sasuke swooned; the hotness was back on his restive body.

"I don't get you… you did all of these willingly? I never imagined you to be so submissive."

"Watch your mouth, Sasuke."

Neji looked into the bulge before his eyes. Based on experiences, he could tell that Sasuke was sensitive but easily stressed in love-making. He needed more stimulations than a normal person would.

"I'm _not _submissive," a flame of anger swept the lucid irises "and just a poke of chakra into _here_," Neji hissed, two fingers jabbing into Sasuke's penis, eliciting a quiet whimper from the teen, "will sterilize you."

The shorts came off under Neji's quick fingers. He lowered the boxers and Sasuke's manhood was revealed for him to observe.

"You're too arrogant for your own good, Sasuke," Neji breathed, hot air enveloping the shaft. "You're going to look at me as I suck you off, brat."

Sasuke watched in awe as Neji opened his mouth gracefully, the half-erect penis directed into it. Just as the head slipped between the lips, there was a loud knock on the door.

Shock took them both and Sasuke quickly reached down for his shorts. Neji stopped him and nodded towards the door, instructing Sasuke to answer the door.

"Wh – who's that?"

"Sasuke?"

Neji was grinning again. Sasuke did not like that look as he turned towards the door. "Kakashi? I'm kind of preoccupied here –"

"What are you doing in there? Is there someone else with you there?"

"No, of course not," Sasuke retorted. How sharp was Kakashi's hearing?

"You sure? 'Cause I definitely heard weird noises coming from – Sasuke?"

The teen had gasped quite loudly when Neji rubbed his sacs together in his hand. When he wanted to tell the young Jonin to quit it, Neji merely squeezed the balls tighter. Sasuke could have gone paralysed from that.

"What the _hell _are –"

"Open the door and answer Kakashi-san properly."

Sasuke was clearly troubled by the order.

"I haven't had my pants on –"

"Answer the door," Neji reiterated stiffly, his hands still working magic on the hot manhood.

Reluctantly, Sasuke twisted the knob and opened the door enough to let his teacher look at his face. He had an arm resting against the wall above his head to support his weight; Neji did not want to release his grip on Sasuke's shaft.

"Kakashi," Sasuke greeted.

"Hmm, what are you doing in there? You don't look well either."

"I'm okay –"

Another gasp escaped his lips. He had to cup his mouth and break eye contact with his teacher as something moist met his penis; Neji was kissing the head of his manhood. He would have kicked the other man straight in the face but the din would welcome other troubles.

Kakashi would find out.

"Stomach ache," Sasuke said with utmost difficulty, his breathing laboured. When Neji pumped the rigid organ at a constant pace with his mouth still fixed firmly on the tip, the younger ninja slammed the door at Kakashi's face and he leaned heavily against the door. Neji worked faster and harder relentlessly, his eyes as empty as before; Sasuke twitched in his place and finally ejaculated all over the other male. It was done… Neji released him, edging to the sink to wash himself off the semen. Sasuke meanwhile was still catching his breath, slumped on the corner of the room. Neji then threw a clean towel which Sasuke caught before heading towards the door with a blasé expression.

"Neji," the raven-haired teen called from the ground, catching Neji's hand in his. "Thank you."

That was all there was to it. Neither owed each other anything. No feelings involved, no money, nothing. It was merely an agreement where Sasuke got what he wanted – the camera recorded faithfully every proceeding without fail – and the other left untainted, unscarred.

Sasuke could now progress to his second victim.


	9. 1 Down, 2 to Go

One down, two to go.

He would have to postpone the third round until he returned from the mission. Back in the Jonin complex, Kakashi had found him again one storey below from where he had his quickie with Neji. Common sense told him to run; he had yet to recover completely so by the time Kakashi was close to him, he knew his teacher would be able to see the crumpled shirt, the sweaty face and the slightly damp hair. But the Jonin paid no attention to those details and instead went on informing Sasuke that the mission would begin this week. Then Kakashi performed his teleportation jutsu and vanished in a second. It was all a little bedazzling really; for a moment Kakashi was here and by the next he was gone.

But Sasuke took no offence in his teacher's sudden leave. He was grateful in fact. At least now that he had some time to himself, he would be able to plan on his second victim.

Yon had given him 2 days to complete the mission. Sasuke on the other hand wanted to finish it today. He could not bear flirting around and bringing men into his bed and he wanted to end it as quick as he could so badly. For some unknown reasons an elite shinobi of the Hyuga clan had been involved…

Sasuke thought he was going to have a heart attack when he kissed the youthful Jonin.

Since everything had gone unexpected from the first second, he would not mind tricking another unpredicted person. And currently, the most unlikely person to be victimized is none other than his best friend, Naruto.

Sasuke entered the apothecary where Kakashi had bought some ointments in the afternoon. The shopkeeper was about to close the door; it was already dusk. He had spotted a variety of aphrodisiac lining the wall and he asked for those. Tricking Naruto into doing whatever he wanted was easy but he would not want the blonde to have such a dirty memory of him.

"What's the effect of this drug?"

"Temporary drunkenness, memory loss in certain cases and artificially induced libido. This is the strongest one we have. You want to go for a milder one?"

"No. I'll take two sets."

It was as if the drugs were made for this purpose. Fast forward after more planning and hesitations Sasuke soon found himself walking towards Naruto's house. It had to be done, so Naruto would not be angry when he found out the truth right? No, Sasuke was not going to let his friend know _anything_. A part of him needed someone to talk to, to lighten the heavy dreadfulness sinking in his chest. The other part constantly reminded him to shut up and bring the truth to his grave.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Coming – Sasuke!"

The raven-haired teen faked a smile at the blonde's happy face. It must have turned out bad since Naruto frowned and pointed out, "You don't look fine again."

Sasuke brushed the words aside and decided to go straight to the point. "You want to come to my house for dinner?"

"What are you serving?"

"Ramen," Sasuke replied, his tongue getting slightly dry at the lie. He had ramen at home but those are of the instant noodles kind. Pretty much like the ones Naruto ate on a constant basis.

"Okay. You can go first, I'll come by later."

And with a quick wave, Naruto closed the door. Sasuke sighed; guilt had ignited his conscience already. Sasuke sped towards his house on chakra-enhanced feet. With so much turmoil boiling within, he needed speed. Only with speed he felt he was able to discard those needless emotions with every charge forward. By the time he slipped carefully into his home, the guilt had hardly evaporated.

Screw it all.

Naruto arrived fifteen minutes later; he walked at normal pace unlike Sasuke. The latter had switched the television on and made Naruto stick in the armchair as he prepared dinner… for obvious reason. How could he possibly prepare spiked ramen with the victim hovering behind his back? Pitching the ramen into two bowls, he tipped the content of the aphrodisiac into one of them and watched the powder swirled and dissolved. Sasuke thought that with Naruto's uncanny stamina and passion, the blonde would be able to conquer any love-making sessions without even trying.

But Naruto did not swing _that way_.

Sasuke had no choice but to bring the dishes out and called for dinner. Naruto whose stomach was rumbling thunderously jumped out of the couch to join his friend at the dining table.

"Sasuke?"

"Huh?"

"Your hand is shaking."

"What?"

Naruto clutched the raven-haired's right hand which was arranging chopsticks, stopping Sasuke from placing the sticks on the table.

"Something bad happen?"

The fist in Naruto's clenched harder; Sasuke stopped the trembles forcefully. He pulled his bangs back, raking his hair with his free hand. "No, nothing at all. Must be the after effect of the medicine I took earlier. Stomach ache," Sasuke added at Naruto's questioning stare, the coal fringes falling back into his face.

"Right… perhaps I should stay the night to keep an eye on you."

"That won't be necessary," Sasuke assured him, pushing the steamy bowl into Naruto's hand. "It's not much –"

"Nah, it's fine. Any ramen which doesn't come from the 2-minute packs is fine."

Sasuke made a mental note not to tell Naruto where his ramen came from.

As he poked noodles into his mouth, Sasuke did a self recount of his plans. During those 2 minutes for the ramen to cook, Sasuke had attached himself onto the ceiling with chakra and placed the video cam on the lamp. Since it was in the hall, his session with Naruto would have to take place there. He would have dimmed the light a bit; he still deemed it uncomfortable doing anything erotic with another male. But the images recorded would not turn out good. Like hell he was going to put his effort in jeopardy. If Yon and his freaky buddies wanted to see everything crystal clear, he would have to swallow his timidity and do it under broad fluorescent light.

"Wah… thanks Sasuke," Naruto expressed with a generous burp.

Sasuke nodded once and pushed his bowl away. There was still some portion of noodles left untouched and Naruto asked, "No appetite?"

At this, Sasuke shook his head. He stood up to clear the table but Naruto beat him to it.

"You cook, I clean. Fair?"

Even then, Naruto did not wait for a response. He took the used chopsticks and bowls into the kitchen and soon, the sound of water gushing from metal pipe reverberated in the house. Sasuke collapsed onto the couch, wondering if Naruto ever did chores at _his _own place. He was grateful, very, and it only served to amplify his churning guilt. It had to be over soon; he could feel his dinner stirring in his stomach.

He was sick of the bet. But if that was the case, why would he be pleased with the amount of money offered in the first place? Kakashi said he whored himself for gold pieces.

Sasuke dunked his face into his palm. Tools… he was only a tool meant to destroy his brother. A tool has no feelings to hold him back.

"Okay, I'm done with your dishes. Can you open the windows? It's rather warm in here. I've opened the ones in your kitchen."

Sasuke got up to open the glass panes by the bookcase. Naruto meanwhile flopped over the cushions and was staring avidly at the television. Then he started laughing. Naruto laughing was normal. Sasuke glanced at the screen and was shocked to see a newsreader reporting economic statistics. He studied Naruto's face; he was glowing red in the cheeks and forehead and was starting to wipe tears from his eyes.

"Aww… Sasuke did you hear that? Corns being harvested from the Western area! Isn't that funny?"

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked tentatively.

He had not overdosed the blonde had he? The pharmacist suggested one packet and he added just that into the ramen. He ran the effects of the aphrodisiac in his mind. _Temporary drunkenness, memory loss in certain cases, artificially induced libido…_

"Hey, Sasuke…" Naruto said, his eyes unfocused. "Can I borrow your toilet?"

"I'll take you there," Sasuke offered, taking the unsteady blonde off the seat. He propped Naruto by his side and shambled carefully towards the lavatory when Naruto suddenly twisted in his grasp and lost his balance.

"Oi Naruto, walk proper –"

Sasuke was not able to support the feisty ninja. When Naruto hit the floor, he accidentally kicked Sasuke by the ankle and caused him to fall as well. All air was knocked out of his lungs and he wheezed, his head resting on warm surface. The next thing he saw when he opened his eyes were Naruto lying beneath him, giggling.

"Naruto!"

"Haha, it's really funny…"

"Nothing's funny, idiot. Get up."

"No."

Sasuke raised his body but was stopped when the other teen held him by the collar.

"You're the idiotic one, Sasuke. Drugging me with shit –" Naruto broke off, laughing miserably to the ceiling.

"You knew," Sasuke said, partially awed by Naruto's sudden sharp senses. He knew the aphrodisiac fanned off some scent but the ramen's stock was rich enough to cover it. "If you knew then why the hell did you eat it?"

The blonde choked, his throat parched. "Because you cooked it. The Sasuke I know will not harm his friends."

"Damn you, Naruto…"

He looked up at the lamp, seeing the camera staring down at them on the floor. Guilt… he was only aware of guilt. When it was all over with, he doubted he would be able to forgive himself just like how he would be able to forgive Itachi for his crimes.

"Shit… you shouldn't have said anything –"

Naruto's lips met his in a sloppy kiss. It brought back memories from the time they were in academy, only this time it was not accidental.

"If I die after this, I want you to know I trust your doings. _Hic – y_ou have your reasons to do this – _hic _–"

Sasuke turned his head. The sight of Naruto's drunken face was becoming unbearable.

"You're not going to die. I've never thought of killing you."

"Right… so what are you going to do to me…?"

Sasuke crumpled his hair again. Naruto's words – _I don't swing that way – _kept on barraging into his ears. He was forcing himself on Naruto… the blonde really was the victim here.

"I'm sorry. It'll be over soon."

But he could not bring himself to force Naruto to do anything perverted to him. How could he ask Naruto to jack him off? He wondered if Naruto was a complete moron when it came to this aspect as well. Just like him…

Sasuke turned around so that his posterior was facing his lying friend. He was all on four and he positioned himself lower to Naruto's pelvic area. Gingerly, he flattened his palm on the crotch area and felt the flesh; Naruto hummed breathlessly from behind. He promised the blonde that it would be over very swiftly and wasting no time, he unzipped the trousers.

"You – you're disgusting, Naruto! You walk around wearing _nothing?_"

"Hn…? 'Course I do. I just didn't have time to wear my boxers just now… haha…"

The effect had not worn off.

Sasuke remembered Aoi and Neji. He blinked at the penis, second guessing himself. Did he have what it took to bring it to full mass like what Neji had done to him? But Naruto said men did not arouse him. No matter what he did, Naruto was not going to response… would the drug help then?

Then he heard another zip being pulled down its track and cold air hit his nether region. He did not have to look at his hip to see where his shorts had gone to.

"Gh – Naruto!"

"Learn from the expert, Sasuke," Naruto quipped, his hand stroking the length of the manhood. Fingers pressed into the right spot, digging into the veins. As his penis stood up, brushing against his pubic hair, Sasuke's arms gave way and Naruto took the opportunity to roll them over. He blew hot air onto the precum glistening on the head, the liquid drying on the surface. Sasuke was groping everywhere searching for something to hold on to and he finally came to grip the edge of his old carpet.

"Mm… get ready…"

And Naruto lowered his mouth onto the rigid shaft. Sasuke closed his eyes, the image of Naruto's lips closing around the circumference inked into his retina. Then there was the tongue… Naruto ran it down the manhood, coating it with his saliva, dissolving the whitish liquid shooting in modest amount from the tip. Naruto then released it from his cavern to tease at the head, kissing and scraping at the skin with his teeth. The slick saliva dripped down along the length, sending tingles as it skated towards the balls.

As much as he despised opening his legs to Naruto, he wanted to be released from the physical torment.

Naruto sensed the need emanating from his friend. He opened his mouth again and took Sasuke whole. With a grin, he sucked. Hard.

Stream of semen shot out into the air, traces of the fluid dripping down his chin and the excess leaking down Sasuke's shaft. Naruto fed his satisfaction with Sasuke's guttural moan and snaked his way to face Sasuke in the eyes.

"Amazing…"

Suddenly, Naruto slipped his tongue into Sasuke's half-parted mouth. The energetic blonde was like a vacuum cleaner, stealing air out from their merged caverns. Sasuke stilled at the uncalled approach. When the foreign slick muscle wiped against the other's, Sasuke flinched and pushed the blonde away.

The taste of his cum lingered in his mouth. The idea of it caused his already churning dinner to whorl more violently.

"Okay, enough," Sasuke stated, his heart pumping heart against the ribs. "We got what we wanted, it's –"

"I haven't released myself," Naruto purred. He pressed the lying ninja down on the floor and brushed his excited manhood on Sasuke's. The latter brought a quivering hand to Naruto's collar.

"Enough, Naruto! What –"

Naruto ground into Sasuke again, the unsheathed organs battling for frictions. The black-haired teen stayed still, eyes shut with his fingers digging into his friend's arms. He let Naruto had his way with him; it was only rubbing their penises together. His body was not responding unlike Naruto who was already dripping. The tempo was getting erratic and Naruto's breath was harsh against his neck. Then stickiness covered his lower abdomen and he sighed in relief; now it was really over.

He picked himself off the floor, their semen mixing in a pool below his navel. The nausea was coming and he wobbled to the sink, emptying his dinner into it.

His body despised it.

To pacify his building loathe towards himself, he whispered to nobody in particular repeatedly, "One more to go… one more to go…"

He clenched at the edge of the sink, his legs weak from the encounter.

One more to go…

Sasuke knew better than to blame Naruto for being so horny; it was entirely his fault. It was good to know that Naruto would not remember a single thing from this horrendous experience and they could go back to being friends. Sasuke wiped the repulsive stains off his skin and washed his face before poking his head into the hall again.

Naruto was spread on the floor deep asleep.

His snores were incomparable but Sasuke was not going to get a good night sleep even without the disturbance. He would probably be lying awake on his bed, flashbacks of his dirty acts replaying themselves in his mind. What was the use of sleep; he was going to wake up more fatigued than today.

Sasuke accumulated chakra in the soles of his feet and adhered himself to the ceiling again. Removing the camera from its place, he stared down at Naruto. He accidentally replayed the scene and he knew from this altitude, Yon and everyone was going to enjoy a very vivid, steamy act.

He leapt of his footing, landing noiselessly beside Naruto. He would have to go through some troubles getting the blonde back to his abode. But even if Naruto stayed over and he asked why in the morning, Sasuke could always answer that he offered to stay the night in the first place. Naruto could not argue; he did say that over dinner.

Sasuke crept into his dark bedroom. His only source of illumination was the moon beam. Round 2 was almost over and he was going to get a break out of this whole madness; he was going to escape Konoha to have his mission done in Kusa. There would be no Aoi, no Naruto and no Ichi and his accomplices to bother him. He could finally concentrate on doing something worthwhile, something which did not involve squirting sperm all over the place when someone touched him in those sensitive places. He hated how his heart palpitating for an entire wrong reason. He enjoyed feeling it pumping out of surges of adrenaline when he was in a battle, not because he was pressed against a cold hard surface below someone else's body.

It made him helpless.

_Tap! Tap!_

Sasuke twisted his neck to the window. He heard someone rapping at the glass and true indeed, a shadow was balancing itself steadily on where he usually hung his clothes. Sasuke edged closer to the balcony, pulling the see through door open to allow the figure entrance.

"Good evening," it greeted.

He turned to close the door and moon ray shone on his face. Kakashi looked even more beaten and worn out under the dismal glow, his silver hair wan to Sasuke's eyes.

"I could've used the main door but I was traveling from this direction. Less hassle," the Jonin explained, dusting dirt from his shoulder.

"You came from…?"

"The Northern area. I went to collect the sake myself and was busy with the final preparations."

"Aren't they sending the sake here by mail?"

"Their son who's a ninja is out on a mission. The old couple has no means of transferring the barrels into a Summoning scroll and I have to go and collect them myself. We need it in a hurry so we can't delay any longer."

Sasuke shifted uncomfortable as Kakashi strolled around the bedroom. His teacher would be best out of his house. It was not safe when Naruto was snoring freely in the hall like nobody's business.

"Why the rush?" Sasuke asked, his palms sweating somewhat.

"Kusa sent their reply an hour ago."

Kakashi's lone eye fell onto the camera lying despondently on the bed, the red light blinking in the darkness. He walked on and Sasuke breathed again.

"We're leaving Konoha tomorrow."

"TOMORROW?"

Kakashi turned to look at his student, his hoary brows disappearing behind his forehead protector. Sasuke closed his mouth again, abashed at the loudness of his words.

How could he leave tomorrow? His bet… he was short of 1 person and that was all he needed to bag that 20 000 gold pieces. Konoha could not do this to him, he was so close. He was not going to stash his effort. All the ridicule he absorbed, the self-hating… all for naught?

"Something wrong?" Kakashi asked emotionlessly, the door connecting the bedroom to the hallway creaked close; the Jonin was leaning against it.

Light footsteps slapped on the plank floor and Kakashi spoke softly, but firmly, "Now that Naruto's out of our earshot, let's talk."

Even in the dark, Sasuke felt spotlights beaming squarely onto him. He could not flee.

"You're doing your second challenge?"

Kakashi did not need a verbal answer; the silence was enough. He pressed his front firmly against Sasuke's back. The latter tried to move away but Kakashi placed his arm around Sasuke's neck, successfully chaining the teen to him.

"You're not going to forfeit from the challenge like I told you to?"

"I can't," Sasuke uttered, his voice rasped. "I told you it's impossible. Do you want to say that it's foolish and I'm digging my own grave?"

"What's this challenge about?" Kakashi intervened, not wanting to get side-tracked by unnecessary distractions. Sasuke however felt his world had stopped moving. Time came to a standstill and there was only him, Kakashi and sheer shame. Kakashi waited patiently for an answer, his hold on the teen never dithering.

So he swallowed thickly, ready for any actions his teacher was going to take upon listening to the truth. "In 2 days, I have to get 3 men to jack me off," he ended in a hushed whisper.

He felt Kakashi tensing behind him. But his next words were as composed as ever. "You need 1 more man."

Sasuke started, his blunt fingernails scratching at Kakashi's long sleeves. "How do you know?"

"We're leaving for Kusa at the crack of dawn. You won't be able to hook another man into your house and let him have your _body_, will you?" Kakashi muttered dangerously, his tone changing a fraction. "Sasuke, _I'm _one."

"What are you getting at?" the teen said, desperate to get out of his cage.

"I'm implying," Kakashi whispered, his mouth right beside Sasuke's ears. "That I'm giving myself to you – for you to pass that challenge."

The arm slithered around the teen's neck was brought up to cup Sasuke's chin. Kakashi lowered his mask and took the young lips. Sasuke was plainly stunned; Kakashi was getting more and more aggressive as his kisses came in hard and unforgiving.

"I just have to make you cum, don't I, Sasuke?" he asked hoarsely, breaking the connection as his arm returned to lock Sasuke in place. His free hand made a slashing motion and then, the shirt tore up into two. It happened so quickly Sasuke barely had the time to register when Kakashi gathered his Rai chakra in his fist; he heard the brief crackling of electricity fade when the hand came up to rub at his side. The callous palm was warm, possibly because of the chakra. Kakashi then lowered the arm resting on Sasuke's collarbone to tweak at a nipple, flattening it on his chest. The action sparked a nerve or two at the area and Sasuke half-heartedly expect his teacher to send electrical shocks into the stiffening bud.

Kakashi released his hold on the abused nipple and brushed his fingers over the other one. Resting his splayed palm over Sasuke's chest, the Jonin spoke again, "Your heart's racing. Are you excited? Or afraid?"

Kakashi returned his lips to the nape of the younger male's neck, nipping and licking at the protruding spine. His free resumed dancing across Sasuke's exposed torso until it rested on the hem of the intact shorts. Again, with a swift swipe of the hand, the article came loose.

"Kakashi! Eno –"

"How many times have you bared it all, exposing everything to another man? To _Aoi_?" Kakashi said venomously at the mention of Aoi's name.

"Stop thi –"

Kakashi cupped the sagging manhood and squeezed it hard. Sasuke winced at the pain; Kakashi had been rough throughout the time. His thumb traced the outline of the slit and when he dug in carelessly, numbness spread to the teen's legs. Sasuke buckled under the torture, his lean form sliding towards the floor as Kakashi lowered himself accordingly. When Kakashi's hand went behind to trace at the opening of his anus, Sasuke gasped. His eyes swung open and that was when he realised he was right in front of the camera.

"Your expression is so innocent. You have chosen the wrong victims, Sasuke"

Kakashi eased the first section of his middle finger into the hole. The teen froze at the violation.

"Neji-kun and Naruto are too kind. Your experience is not real enough."

He dug deeper; another section of the finger slipped in. Kakashi curled it upwards and Sasuke cried in shock and pain.

"You smell of semen, don't you know? You were at it with Neji-kun in the toilet back in the Jonin complex."

Sasuke's eyes widened when he felt his anus being stretched further. Kakashi had cruelly forced in his index inside.

"And when I came here just now, the reek was intoxicating."

The two fingers sawed in and out at a constant rhythm, Kakashi's knuckles hitting the tight ring of Sasuke's asshole. Sasuke gasped when they were pushed in – he did not know what Kakashi intended to accomplish with this filthy doing. All he knew was as bent downwards with his buttocks exposed completely to his teacher eyes, he had never been humiliated by an adult before. Not even by his elder brother.

Knowing that Sasuke was not able to struggle under the psychological insult he had put the teen through, he fondled the teen's manhood again.

Sasuke was not hard. The muscles lay as lifelessly as its initial condition.

Kakashi removed his fingers and brought Sasuke up. The teen was panting heavily, the barest hint of tears glistening at the edge of his eyes. The Jonin supported the other ninja's torso, letting it rest against his chest. He then placed his thumb near Sasuke's navel, blue orb enlightening the dark chamber. And then, he drove it into the pelvic region, pressing it firmly into the flesh.

Sasuke choked, his hand gripping weakly at Kakashi's.

Kakashi had to admit, he panicked when he realised Sasuke was not excited under his caresses. He had crossed a line, he had molested his student against his will and Sasuke was merely enduring the process with his tongue tight in his cheek. He knew his student well enough to figure Sasuke was not going to mewl for forgiveness and expose his weakness. He would take it all in his stride no matter how painful it would be.

The now rigid cock stood proudly, wetness seeping out from the tip.

Kakashi had resorted to manipulating a person's tenketsu. If he could not induce sexual wants with his touches, he would have to force it. He drove needles of chakra right into the prostate, massaging it to create artificial pleasure.

Sasuke however thought it was cheap trick. He was physically aroused but it felt absolutely void of pleasure.

Kakashi increased the chakra stream's velocity and the ninja in his arms came with a stifled moan.

Sasuke was slow to comprehend what happened next. Kakashi said he was going to take Naruto back and reminded him to pack his things for the mission tomorrow morning. Then he left without another word. Sasuke obviously did not expect to hear anything else but before he drifted to sleep on the cold floor, he figured Kakashi had picked him up and tucked him into bed.

He assumed it was Kakashi because as soon as he pulled the covers over his naked body, the presence dissipated.

Kakashi never apologized.


	10. Be My Eye, Watch My Back

"Yours, Sasuke-kun

"Yours, Sasuke-kun. Well done."

Gold coins clinked on the table as the pouch skidded to a halt neatly before Sasuke. Yon returned to his drink, downing the alcohol in one large gulp. Judging by his glum mood, he must have bet on Sasuke losing the challenge. The ninja cast his eyes downwards - the video camera was lying broken on the floor, its tape burnt to crisp; the ashes were strewn around in heaps.

Sasuke had been lucky. He came to the bar early in the morning an hour before he was supposed to set off with Kakashi. Even though the businessmen were not informed of his early arrival (he should come to the bar tomorrow), nevertheless they were there, entertaining themselves with dirty jokes and jugs of beer. Sasuke threw the video cam over and demanded his win, which they complied after they had watched the recording. The teen swore he saw evil glints in their eyes but he must be imagining things because the men broke out laughing out loud, wiping tears from their eyes. To Sasuke the reaction was too much but he could not be bothered as Yon reached into his jacket for the reward.

20 000 gold pieces, all his.

But because it was 1 hour before the mission started, Kakashi had stated firmly that he would be following Sasuke to the bar. The latter made the Jonin waited outside as he settled his business; there was no way he was going to let the men see Kakashi after they had viewed him in action.

He did not want to be seen together with Kakashi like nothing had happened on the previous night.

"Sasuke-kun, the last man in the video – the one with silver hair – is he the famous Hatake Kakashi from the Leaf?"

Sasuke's mind came back from its wander at the mention of his teacher's name.

"He looks like Kakashi-san. Hmm… that's very good of you to manage to seduce _him _for your selfish purpose. He's pretty feisty…"

"Shut up. I'm done with Round 2, I'm out of here."

Sasuke's eyes went back fleetingly to the ashes on the ground. He wanted to make sure that the evidences were really gone from the material world. Yon had removed the tape from its compartment in the camera and allowed Sasuke to dispose it in whatever ways the teen deemed fit. Taking the easiest yet most efficient way out, he burnt it with the mildest Fire jutsu he knew of.

"I'll be away for a mission starting from today. Round 3 can start after I come back."

"And when will that be?" Yon asked, scratching his nose.

"I can't say for sure."

Sasuke then left without another word to find Kakashi leaning against the door frame.

"You handled yourself pretty well," the older man commented as they both made their way towards the edge of the town.

Sasuke, still stiff from their encounter last night did not say anything. Kakashi noticed how the teen's body twitched when their arms brushed for walking too closely together and he would immediately slow his pace to keep their distance further.

Yon had kindly reminded him that the last challenge would be the most rewarding one and Sasuke had better come back alive in one piece. The man did not disclose how many gold pieces were at stake but if they said it was a lot, it was a lot. Still, he could not shake the nagging feeling that the last one would rob him away of what little conscience he had now.

The bet was inhumane.

They walked on, their steps relaxed and unhurried as trees and wild flowers aligned either side of the pathway. The road to Kusa was spectacular possibly because of the nature of the soil. Everything grew on it. Kakashi had tried to lighten the atmosphere with little chats and all Sasuke did was listen. The older Jonin was not offended; he hummed and talked as though Sasuke was not able to speak because he had a toothache. If Kakashi was going to act innocent, Sasuke was not going to remind his teacher about his sin.

An angry Kakashi was frightening; Sasuke learnt it the hard way.

But after half an hour, Kakashi stopped in their walk.

"Sasuke," he began, standing tall before his student as his shadow covered the younger ninja. "I still haven't told you what you're going to do and you're still going to do it?"

He thought the matter was long settled.

"I told you many times before. I'm not budging."

"What if I tell you to do something you don't like to do? Something that'll make you regret for life?"

Sasuke snorted. "If you mean killing the Lord or innocent people, I can live with that."

Kakashi sighed, scratching the nape of his neck.

"You're not born a killer, I can tell. But if that's what you want…"

They resumed their steps, this time walking abreast as the grass became thicker and greener.

"We can switch you know. There's still time to do that. I can assume your identity through a different variation of Henge and you can be me, I'm sure it's easy to impersonate me…"

Sasuke's silence kept Kakashi going on. If they were going to switch, this was the time to finalise everything before they enter the province of Kusagakure. If they ever met with stray Iwa ninjas along the way, they would not have the leisure to plot further.

"The plan is I'll take your place and do your part of the mission and you can be the negotiator – my part. You have the maturity to deal with politics and I'll add in whenever I see fit. We'll keep the act on for as long as we're there. If everything went well, we'll be able to secure the data without much difficulty and then we'll leave immediately. Of course, after we have the data those Iwa nins won't hold back. They'll have our heads before we even know it and we better keep our vigilance up."

A pebble flew a yard away when the teen kicked it out from his way.

"In short, we get the data, we flee and we make a detour to Ame."

"It's good to know that you remember our detour to Ame but you missed the switching –"

"Let it go already, Kakashi."

With a tone of finality, not even the Hokage herself can shake Sasuke out of his stand. Kakashi was no special either. As silence thickened within the next ten minutes, the older man returned to humming.

So he had managed to get his point across. Good. If Kakashi insisted in switching, Sasuke would have gone straight back to Konoha.

--

It was only after sunset that they saw glorious sparkles from afar. Kakashi said it was the surface of the pool reflecting sun light. That meant their resting place was nearby. After walking for almost one day, not one Iwa nin made appearance and Sasuke was slightly relieved by the absence of expected ambushes. Kusa would then be another day away, maybe nearer, depending on how fast they were traveling and that was exactly what Sasuke had wanted; some reason to get out of Kakashi's range of sight. Lost in his stream of thoughts, he realised they had made it to the lake when Kakashi threw his backpack onto the ground by a tree and studied the surrounding with his lone eye. Sasuke strained his ears, knowing full well that his eyesight could never compare to his teacher's who had been trained to pinpoint target even in the blackest of night.

Sasuke knew he heard no one, but whether Kakashi was at ease with lack of disturbances was another story. He knew his teacher well enough to guess Kakashi's next order.

"Stay alert wherever you go, Sasuke. In case we split, you'll have to watch your back."

The teen nodded, lowering his bag next to Kakashi's. They started their evening by setting up a camp place; taking out the sleeping bags, gathering firewood, building a fire – which Sasuke had doused by furious stomping.

Kakashi stared forlornly at the embers as he reached for his matches. Lighting the kindling and paper again, he told the unaware younger ninja solemnly of their unwelcome visitors.

"You've got to be joking…" the teen whispered to himself, threatened by the loss of security. No wonder Kakashi had lighted fire; they were already spotted! He did not sense anything, not even the slightest creak of boots on wood. One did not need the Iwa nin to start attacking to proof how formidable they were as an foes. Sasuke was somewhat unsettled by the news. But Kakashi merely smiled and roughened his hair again.

As far as Sasuke knew, that was his teacher's way of saying, "It's going to be all right." And if Kakashi said so, Sasuke believed it. At the moment, any form of comfort was inviting.

"You better get all the rest you can tonight, Sasuke. I'll keep watch."

"You need the rest as much as I do. We'll take turns," the teen said stubbornly, sitting by the blazing fire as he fed the flame more fuel.

"No. You'll need all the stamina you have, even more than me."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. The one responsible for their safety was Kakashi, not him. For the man to say something so queer… he knew his teacher was evil. He kept dropping hints about the mission yet refused to spill the details. He would have asked straightforwardly but he preferred Kakashi to tell him when he thought the time was right. But this mission was partly his. He had the rights to know first.

"Are you going to tell me about the mi –"

And a huge pile of dry sticks fell clumsily into his lap; Kakashi was the culprit. "Not now, Sasuke," he whispered warningly.

Sasuke bit his tongue. Kakashi was probably afraid of the Iwa nin eavesdropping on their conversation. He was being careless.

"Watch your back," the Jonin reminded him.

The next thing which fell beside him was a towel. Sasuke took it and looked up questioningly at his teacher. Kakashi had already unzipped his Jonin vest and was currently pulling off his gloves and forehead protector.

"The pool isn't there for nothing you know," the older man said cheerfully, removing the outer layers of his uniform, leaving the familiar sleeveless black singlet on. He then bowed lower, his face inches away from Sasuke's shocked one as he scrutinised the teen's visage. When he slowly extended an arm, Sasuke was ready to fling a burning wood at the man if he tried anything funny.

"I'm not going to hurt you," the hoarse murmur reached his ears.

Sasuke felt warm air on his skin when Kakashi lifted his shirt a fraction. He was so close to the fire, it would take less than a second to throw ashes into the older man's face. He felt Kakashi's fingers brushed against his side and his fist clenched in the dirt. Then he almost jumped when the finger tugged at the hem of his shorts and he really did as cold, hard steel pressed into his hips.

"Okay!" Kakashi exclaimed, the crowfeet returning to his face as he pulled back into a safe distance from the teen. "Keep it," he added, his eyes creaked open to look at his startled student.

Sasuke headed straightaway to the lake's direction without another word, his heart thumping against his rib cages. There was no telling what his teacher would do. But he really should not be thinking of his personal problems. Kakashi had told him to keep an eye out for the ninjas. And he must be dead serious about it if he made Sasuke bathe with a kunai stuck in the band of his shorts.

--

A contented sigh escaped his lips as he tilted his head up into the starry sky.

His black eyes were fixed at the moon. It was full, exactly like the day he came back to his home and found inferno instead. The image of his dear brother standing behind a pile of bodies – their father and mother – in a room coated with their blood flashed to and fro. The stench of metallic copper could still make his stomach churn even though 8 years had passed since then. Kakashi was right; he was not born a killer. He hated blood. That alone was enough to corrode his killing intention.

But he had no qualms in eliminating pests like the ones surrounding him, hidden in the trees and bushes.

Sasuke feinted ignorance, scrubbing at his neck and arms. He had entered the pool together with his boxers; he had been careful to cross his hand over the kunai. Kakashi was no where nearby since he could not pick his scent and that was saying a lot considering how much Kakashi had sweated (like him), he would have smelt the Jonin one country away.

Sasuke breathed in deeply. Perhaps the wind would carry traces of Kakashi… after that, he was sure; he was alone. He dipped his hand below the water surface and grip at the handle of his weapon. Animosity was weighing upon him… his teacher told him to strike only when the opponent had started the game.

His gut feeling told him that it could be anytime soon.

He was spot on.

Bells chimed and deadly needles in different array of diameters came lunging at him. Sasuke deftly leapt out of the water, the slender yet lethal weapons plunged into the air where he had previously been and pierced deep into the rock by the pool. The assailant retracted the steel wire connecting his arm to his needles and the boulder cracked and crumbled. Sasuke crouched on the ground, his kunai firm in his hand.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

And more bangs were heard. He turned to left; dust churned in the air, reducing his scope of vision. But that was the least of his worry.

"Exploding tags –"

The fuse reached the ground beneath his feet and he felt a slight tremor. Pumping chakra desperately into his soles, he pushed himself upwards and away from the blast before he lost his legs.

The Iwa nin had better come out now before he went in to meet them personally.

Five silhouettes burst into the open, each wielding kunai and the same treacherous needles. As if a faraway battle horn was blown, they started gracing the earth with moves as smooth as silk, flawless and precise, aiming to kill. Sasuke managed to dodge most of the attacks but some of the tools had nicked his arms and sides. He himself had managed to land several blows on the ninja but the knocked out adversaries were easily replaced by their comrades. His stance faltered somewhat after being on the offensive side for too long and he could not defend himself as he had done before. More cuts marred his skin. Too bad for him, a chakra-enveloped kunai almost found its way into his thigh and Sasuke wearily threw himself out of the way, the sharp edge shred his dripping wet trousers into halves. Fully aware of his nakedness, the force of his previous movement propelled him to where he had placed a change of clothes and he quickly slipped into his robes.

The ninja stopped attacking, eyeing Sasuke. Their eyes lowered until they landed on the area where Sasuke would prefer it clothed and he clumsily tied the sash around his waist.

"I want to have a go at him…" a rusty voice spoke from their midst, sending uncomfortable shivers up Sasuke's spine.

"You'll only get his corpse," another answered, and all five came down at him at once. Sasuke repositioned the kunai in his grip and read their movements.

"Sharingan!" someone exclaimed, clearly surprised by their target's kekkei genkai. Sasuke smirked.

"Not so fast, kid."

"Wh –"

When did he get behind him?

As soon as the deadly mutter left the Iwa nin's lips, a heavy kick collided squarely in his stomach, knocking all air out of his lungs. His body tore through the air without resistance before he finally smashed into a tree trunk. The pain in his middle region amplified when the momentum of his landing threw his body into an arc, speckles of blood tainted his lips.

_This is not happening_…

He had let his guard down one too many times… As he lay immobile on the ground, he heard faint footsteps closing onto him.

Someone had yanked him roughly by the hair and threw him down onto the ground where he spluttered violently. Deep red lines coursed down his chin.

"Little Uchiha got hurt."

"Let's get this over with."

Sasuke opened his eyes, setting the five men with the dirtiest glare he could muster in his agony. Someone had squatted down, his head hovering above his. Even though the moon light was illuminating all of their faces, Sasuke could make out none; his vision was declining and his sudden giddiness was not helping.

"I said I'm going to have a go at this boy."

He heard grunts of approvals and then could only guess that the person had undone his sash to reveal his bareness for all of them to see. His senses dulled and his last thought was out of all the things they could have done to him, why must they resort to rape… At least when they had their way with him, he would not be conscious.

--

A strong arm around his shoulder, a solid surface to lean on – Sasuke inhaled generously before he blinked the haziness out of his eyes. Grey walls with algae sticking onto the surface greeted his sight. Then he heard the _drip drip _of water falling from the ceiling. Upon looking to his right past the arm wrapping around his body, he discerned stalagmites protruding from the ground. His forehead protector was dangling down the nearest one.

"Are you awake?"

The warmth shifted and the arm slithered away. Kakashi's face came into view as he pushed the teen gently against the wall for him to rest against. Coldness suddenly bit him and he shivered, yearning for body warmth.

"It's already morning. We'll be able to get you to Kusa before night falls."

Sasuke however was not paying attention to his teacher. A lot of things were racing in his mind. But his memory seemed to be sporting a leak; there were instances where he knew something had happened but did not know what. He folded his legs and rested his chin on his knees. When his mind settled on the last bit of his chaotic recollection, he asked shakily, "What – what did they do –?"

Kakashi had started packing his bag. He let the question went unanswered as he spread dirt into the smoking embers. When he returned to collect their abandoned forehead protectors, Sasuke looked away. So the Iwa nin had gotten that far…

"They didn't do anything to you. I killed them before they had the chance."

His slightly damp forehead protector lay soggy in Kakashi's palm. Sasuke accepted it, tying it around his forearm instead; there was bandage around his forehead.

"By the time I got there, you were already out on the ground. I managed to get four of them. Since we couldn't linger anymore, I brought you here. They'll have a hard time finding us for the moment."

Kakashi chucked the bottle of soldier pills into his bag and straightened up. What he told Sasuke was merely the surface of what really happened that night. When he saw five men all over Sasuke, he admitted he was freaked. He had left the young ninja for half an hour to send a number of Bunshin off in several directions as scouts. Since he had to concentrate on splitting his chakra (two being his maximum, sending off more than that would require conscious control), he could not join Sasuke at the pool. When he returned to the lake, all he could think of was taking the teen away from hell. Before the vile Iwa wretch could position himself correctly between the spread apart thighs, he had slit that throat and slaughter the other stunned Iwa nin. No mercy was given – they had spared none for Sasuke. One of them fled the scene before Kakashi could even grab onto him. He let the man go; his priority was his student. Pulling the robes over the bruised body, he took the teen in his arms and charged towards a cave that one of his Bunshin had located. Sasuke was a mess; he had fractured a couple of ribs and a mild concussion to go with. At least he had not been violated.

Kakashi would not know how to deal with it if he arrived a second too late.

"We'll have to reach Kusa as soon as we can. Can you walk?" Kakashi asked, hoisting Sasuke up by the arms.

The teen balanced himself on the cave floor, staggering as his temple pulsed disturbingly. Kakashi was already lugging at their bag packs.

"The area is clear," the Jonin informed, wrapping a steady arm around Sasuke's hip. The latter did not shy away so Kakashi assumed it was all right to be in this position until the teen had gotten the vigour to walk independently later.

Sadly, it was highly unlikely for Sasuke to move without assistance anytime soon.

Amidst the havoc yesterday, Kakashi had forgotten Sasuke's clothes and shoes stranded by the lake. He had only chanced a sneak back to the area and that was also via a Kage Bushin. Their luggage was secured but Sasuke's clothes were gone. No doubt they would try to use the scent as means to track the teen down after they had left Kusa's borders. Sasuke was forced to trudge on earth barefooted. When the ground turned stony and painful to walk on without protection, Kakashi had offered Sasuke a free ride on his back. He only accepted it because his chest was starting to hurt as he panted in his stride. When the path became grassy again, Sasuke quickly slid down onto his feet and walked again, his face never betraying the prickling sensation in his midriff. Kakashi was not fooled; he had purposely stopped their journey at frequent intervals, claiming that he needed to empty his bladder in the bushes.

Sasuke was thankful even if he did not express it out loud.

"I don't recall a sandy area like this."

Sasuke awoke from his inner thoughts, raising his head up to observe the surrounding. Kakashi was right, it seemed like sand encompassed the region that it looked more like Suna instead of Kusa.

"Kai!"

Sasuke shifted his weight on his feet, waiting for Kakashi to check what was wrong with the scenery. He attempted dispelling the genjutsu but the view was very real. Knowing it was not wise to stay in the open uncovered he held Sasuke closer to his chest and formed another seal.

"Wh –?"

Blackness swallowed them whole. It took Sasuke a little while more to realise that they were indeed, underground.

"What are you plan –"

"I'm sending a Kage Bunshin out to scout the area again."

He would have gone himself but leaving Sasuke alone open to attacks was the stupidest thing to do. They sat there, hunched beneath layers of rubbles and dirt, Sasuke's worn out form settling loosely in Kakashi's embrace. Their breaths were awfully loud and Sasuke tried to slower his rate of breathing.

It took him not long for giddiness to make a comeback. He leaned subconsciously into Kakashi, closing his eyes as he willed his brain to refocus.

"'Right… nobody's out there, Sasuke, we'll continue walking."

To Sasuke, it seemed that his teacher had ordered his Kage Bunshin for an untimely return. He on the other hand wanted to rest in the dark hole longer where it was cool and quiet. Or was it cozy because Kakashi was sitting there with him, his body heat soothing the pounding aches?

"Are you all right?"

He lifted Sasuke into the open again, lowering the teen onto the ground.

"Don't fuss over me so much," he retorted, brushing his teacher's hands away.

If Kakashi was not comfortable with their close proximity, so was he.


	11. At Kusa

Ever since they had returned above on solid ground instead of burrowing a hole in the soil, Sasuke had been careful to walk at a slightly slower pace than Kakashi. When his teacher intruded his path, he stopped altogether and pretended to take a swig from his water container.

Kakashi too was awfully silent throughout the walk.

After an hour of unbearable awkwardness, they both halted where a large tree stood by a stream. Sasuke sat on the roots, his eyes wary of Kakashi's location. He was going to scoot away if the Jonin took a seat beside him.

"What is going on in your mind, Sasuke?"

The teen blinked, unscrewing the cap of his water bottle again. Kakashi leaned against the tree and tucked his arms in. "Why don't you act yourself for once?"

"I am _not _pretending to be someone else," Sasuke snapped, standing up with the empty container in his fist.

"I'm not saying you're being pretentious but this is very absurd."

"What is?"

The teen went behind the tree to kneel by the clear stream. Dipping his bottle into the water, he chanced another look at his teacher. Kakashi was re-packing his bag. He turned a doleful eye at his student and said, "Finish already? We're leaving now."

Hurriedly, Sasuke closed the bottle and marched mechanically back to Kakashi's side. Things should be somewhat better now that they had at least initiated a conversation no matter how worthless it was. The Jonin continued in his laid back pace and this time, Sasuke was right beside him, walking abreast on the dusty path.

"It really looks more like Suna..." Sasuke commented, narrowing his eyes as dust flew into the air around him.

"The tree and stream we saw are proofs to Kusa's soil. Something drastic must've happened. Most of the geographical aspects of the country have changed."

"Didn't they tell Konoha what had happened by mail?"

And suddenly, Kakashi raised a hand, stopping Sasuke in his steps. They strained their eyes and ears, checking for unwanted presence.

"Bad news?" Sasuke asked as silently as he could, his Sharingan darting back and forth agilely.

"They're doing very well in keeping up and hiding their trails."

If the Iwa nins could not keep up with the snail pace the Konoha nin were walking at, they must be limp. Kakashi had deliberately traveled at such rate for Sasuke's sake; it was the better option than to force Sasuke beyond his limits and end up with an incapacitated ninja for extra luggage. Now, Kakashi had to deal with the backlash of his decision.

"Stay beside me."

Sasuke's finger curled tightly around his kunai's handle. He said hotly with a barely contained smirk, "I can handle myself pretty well, Kakashi. You won't have all the fun this time."

"We don't aim to fight."

"Sooner or later we have to."

"Not now, Sasuke."

Debris was beginning to settle down and their vision cleared again. More sand formed their course and Sasuke was beginning to become unsettled. He made a mental note to never underestimate his opponent this time.

"Let's go."

They trudged on for another hour or so, kicking irritating grains from their sandals as they frowned at the desert-like panorama before them. There were times were Kakashi made Sasuke stop so that he could try dispelling the Genjutsu but of course to no avail. Every time they thought they had been trapped, they would disrupt their flow of chakra to break free from the caging illusion. Not only had they slower they journey, the entire scenario unnerved them more and more. Kakashi constantly reminded Sasuke to stay close to him and never stray afar. The teen could never agree more; right now, being an individual in the open battlefield equates to suicide.

"Stop."

"What is it now?"

Kakashi turned around to face his student and dipped his head in between the teen's shoulder and neck. Sasuke's eyes widened in shock and he balled his hand into a fist, ready to strike his teacher.

"Can you smell it?"

The fist stayed stationary by his side. Sasuke swallowed thickly and answered, "Smell what?"

"Camel dung."

"What the he –"

Before he could finish his sentence, Kakashi pulled Sasuke into his arms. Holding the slender form around his waist, Kakashi whispered into his ear, "I'm not going to hurt you. So trust me for a while."

Sasuke squashed his desire to beat his teacher into a pulp and continued tensing in Kakashi's embrace. At least he was not thrashing about fighting for space. Kakashi's hand on his back was moving rather quickly, no doubt forming some seals. Without so much of a warning, their world spun and the ground dissolved beneath their feet. Subconsciously Sasuke tightened his hold on Kakashi's forearms, the feeling of being teleported still so alien to him.

He could swear Kakashi was holding him closer too.

Just as how abruptly the discomfort began, it ceased and they were back on firm ground. Sasuke knew they were at a new location but given the plain view spread out in the vicinity, he really could not tell.

"We're 100 meters away from the previous area. I've kicked up some sand to cover our teleportation."

Still breathless from his winded experience, Sasuke nodded and tried to pry himself away from Kakashi.

"Not yet. Just… go along with this. It'll be over if this works."

And then, the base of his stomach plunged as they themselves sank effortlessly into the ground. Kakashi had performed that queer Doton technique again. So it was back to burrowing…

Sasuke felt a firm wall of earth on either side of Kakashi's neck and used it as a leverage to push himself off his teacher. He bumped his head in the process and sank back into his teacher, groaning at the pulsation.

"Stay put, Sasuke. It may not look like it but the ground here is rather hard. With the amount of chakra I injected, it's only enough to build us this space underground."

"Then why go underground in the first place if you know it's going to be troublesome?" Sasuke wheezed heatedly, his forehead resting on his teacher's shoulder.

"This is the only way to cover our scent and footsteps. Teleporting and then this. There's nothing above to conceal us."

Sasuke knew as much but being squashed in a tiny area was not alluring.

"Also," Kakashi reduced his voice to mere whispering, "these hard walls are treacherous. They conduct voices very well. Keep them down."

Again, Sasuke nodded as much as he could. The lack of oxygen was affecting him.

"Are you okay?"

He was not. There was no need to lie and act strong in this case so Sasuke kept quiet, letting the Jonin to interpret his silence. Kakashi did not say anything more. Instead, he rubbed firm circles on the nape of the teen's neck, relieving the tension accumulated there. A hand came to rest around the teen's waist lightly.

Sasuke did not protest.

Kakashi was waiting for the Iwa nin to hurry by their hiding place. Only then he could bring Sasuke up into air and hopefully straight to Kusa. Although they were still at great deal of distance from the Hidden Village, if he had to carry Sasuke and run for it, he would. His speed outclassed the Iwa nin's, he was sure. Then he heard hoofs stomping. Kakashi glanced down at Sasuke; his eyes were closed and he did not seem aware of the happenings above them.

"Sasuke?"

But Kakashi did not wait for a response. The hoofs were getting clearer and louder and he found himself gripping his kunai with his free hand. Unless they had an expert on the team, those Iwa nin would not be able to track them down by scent alone. But if Sasuke's breathing increased in decibel, they were done for. Then he heard them. Ear splitting explosions erupting in series drummed into his ears. The echoes colliding against the walls in his carved niche told him that the blows _would _reach his place. When did they plant explosion tags in this area? Did it not belong to Kusa already?

"Damn the Konoha shinobi… their scent ended here huh? No matter, we'll force them out. Blow 'em up, boys!"

Kakashi heard those frightening speeches loud and clear. The Iwa nin were living up to their words. Judging by the loudness of their voices, Kakashi counted that they intended to explode the grounds within a radius of a hundred meter. The place where _he _and Sasuke were was included in their firing range. He had to come out. Unfortunately, he had not sufficient info to deduce the number of adversaries waiting for him. Sasuke was not a prospective partner to rely on; the teen was hardly awake.

The blasts came nearer.

"Ahn –"

The pallid fist came back to grip at Kakashi's Jonin vest. He peered down at Sasuke, watching intently the deep frowns forming on the teen's forehead.

"Which part is hurting?" Kakashi asked, alarmed.

"Your hold on my ribs… let go…"

The Jonin blinked. He did not realise when he gripped that hard onto his student. The bandages brushing against the pad of his fingers were rough, yet soggy.

Sasuke was bleeding again.

If that was the case, they were not going to make it alive. This place was indeed the worst battlefield to fight on. No covers and shields… there was no way he could attack and protect his student simultaneously. Rubbing comfortingly on Sasuke's back, Kakashi mumbled, "Endure a minute more, Sasuke."

If he calculated correctly, the next blast would be the last he could take. Then it would reach his hiding place and they had to go to the surface already.

BOOM!

Now.

"Shit, cease fire! We can't continue bombing!"

"The hell? They could be another blast away!"

"It's the Hidden Village territory there! It's secured unlike the other parts of its region, fools!"

Kakashi waited, his breath stuck in his lungs. He was already in Kusa's protection.

"The ground there is harder. The ninjas would be able to hear us."

"I don't fancy ANBU on my heels."

"Me either."

Kakashi prayed for the ninja to abandon their plan and leave. He could hardly believe the opportunity to escape unscathed without engaging in a battle had descended before him.

"What if they're taking advantage of it?"

Kakashi's heart almost stopped.

"What if they purposely hid there knowing full well we can't go into Kusa's land?"

"You want to bomb on?"

"I have no reasons not to."

Were they going to prepare for one final blast? Sasuke panted in his arms, beads of sweat cascading down his cheeks. Blast or no blast, he would have to resurface now. The grip on his kunai tensed. Blood would be spilt.

"I can't risk it. We'll have to leave for now. There'll be a chance to kill them later."

Bags were zipped up and steel wires were coiled. The hoofs pounded on the ground again and they grew fainter and fainter. It took only a minute for them to leave; Kakashi sat still against the wall of earth, his blood gushing rapidly in his ears as comprehension dawned. But he could savour the taste of luck later. Kakashi quickly broke the earth above him with a chakra enhanced fist and pulled himself out from the ground. He then fastened a firm grip on the passed out teen, dragging him out from darkness as well.

"Sasuke?"

Kakashi tapped lightly on the flushed cheeks. The teen did not stir. Perhaps the stress was really too much on the battered body? The boy would really have to work on his stamina in the near future. The younger ninja's breathing became less ragged, much to Kakashi's relief. Sasuke's chest rose and fell serenely as he took in steady amount of oxygen after being deprived from air for at least 15 minutes. Bringing his hands together for another handseal, Kakashi focused chakra and muttered, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

A perfect clone of himself poofed into appearance. Without another word, it charged straight towards the horizon at lightning speed.

Finally, they would be able to seek solace from Kusa.

--

Kakashi closed the opened window as the curtain hanging by the frame billowed in the gentle breeze. He stood silently at a corner opposite of the lone bed, watching Sasuke getting his much needed rest. The bandages were changed and wounds were stitched by the experts; Kusa Hospital was really top notch, comparable to even that of Konoha. But it was as it should be; ninja villages prioritise excellence in the medical field. Kakashi had received note that the Lord himself would be dropping by anytime soon to welcome the Konoha nin. The initial plan was for _them_ to meet the Lord in his majestic court. Then they would swap greetings and he would present the Lord two barrels of fine sake. Now due to unforeseen circumstances, it was the other way round.

Kakashi sighed, ruffling his hair to drop more sand grains onto the polished floor. When he had gotten Sasuke out of the ground, he had immediately sent a Kage Bunshin to Kusa to alert the gatekeepers of their arrival. He made the Bunshin tell the Kusa nin to dispatch a couple of Medic nin as well. It would be a lot easier moving alone without having Sasuke beside and the Bunshin managed to get to Kusa and back in fifteen minutes flat. He on the other hand waited with the injured young man, pressing at the bleeding gash to stem the blood from flowing. Under the blazing sun, Sasuke was as pale as sheet. He then saw from a distant some disturbance in the sand and knew that their rescuers were here. After giving Sasuke first aids, they had alerted him of the head injuries. Kakashi could only assume that the teen had knocked his head hard on a tree or a stone during his battle with the Iwa nin. He did not elaborate on his little clash with the beasts so Kakashi did not dare to ask. But it did not really matter; those were in the past. Taking the teen in his arms, he charged back to Kusa together with the Medic nin as escorts.

So, here they were.

How would Sasuke continue the mission in his current state?

"Where am I?"

The Jonin started and pushed himself off the wall in an instant. He was by Sasuke's side in three strides and the teen propped himself up against the headboard.

"I thought we're stuck in the desert."

"This is Kusa," Kakashi enlightened the teen, ringing the alarm to summon a nurse. "We've reached our destination."

There was a brief shuffle of feet outside of their room and a nurse emerged from the door. Kakashi turned to her and asked, "Do you need to call for a doctor now that the patient is awake?"

The nurse shook her head, scribbled something in her writing board and proceeded to doing the usual; taking Sasuke's pulse, his temperature, his blood pressure… the teen allowed her to fiddle with his fringes and sleeves and yawned when the entire procedure took longer than expected. Kakashi however was looking at the door.

"You are –?"

The stranger broke into a wide smile and said, "Welcome, dear Konoha representatives."

Sasuke heard the pompous greeting and inclined forward somewhat to look at the figure. The nurse however pushed him back into the pillows when she tried to fasten a spongy collar around his upper arm.

"Kakashi, is that –?"

His teacher nodded and inched closer to Sasuke's bed when the figure came into view.

"Kakashi-san, Sasuke-kun, how are you feeling?"

Sasuke expected the Lord to be… _well endowed._ Unlike the Kage of the Five Great Nations, Lords of the lesser villages were rarely known to the mass. Sasuke assumed such Lords hid in their chamber of wealth, drowning themselves in sake and women. Since they did no exercises, their layer of fats should be as thick as the steel wall securing his money in the bank's vault. But the man in front of him was very different from his imagination. Tall and lean and somewhat tanned, he could rival Kakashi in terms of physical appeal.

Nevertheless, Sasuke still eyed the Lord in his usual cold, condescending eye. The Lord did not reprimand the teen for his discourteousness but laughed gently again.

"The Kusa hospital is just as good as any other hospitals established in the Five Great Nations. Nurse, how is he doing?"

She straightened up and started peeling the collar from Sasuke's arm. "He's fine. His vitals are stable. With the permission from his healer, he can be discharged today."

"I'm out now," Sasuke snapped, reaching for his everyday clothes folded neatly on his bedside counter. He started unbuttoning his hospital shirt and when they parted at his chest, he ironed his creased shirt with his palm. That was when he caught the Lord's eyes. They were glued to his body, skimming past his pectoral area to his sides and navel. When they descended to his pelvic region, Sasuke jumped out of the bed and almost knocked into the IV drip stand. Had Kakashi not catch him by the arm, he would have to be warded for another different reason.

"I'm changing in the bathroom," Sasuke mumbled, dashing straight to the other door in the room with his clothes balled in his fist.

Kakashi glared furtively as much as he could at the Lord. The rumours were true.

"That is Sasuke, huh? Interesting personality. I've never seen a teenage boy so full of hatred and anger before. But I don't blame him for growing up like that. He _is _the last of the dead Uchiha clan isn't he?"

Kakashi smiled; his eyes cold and empty.

"Sorry for my lack of subtleties, but I'd prefer if you stopped prying into the Uchiha family affairs."

"Fair enough," the Lord replied, his irises missing a twinkle or two. "On a different note, I believe you are here to show Konoha's goodwill to my humble Hidden Village?"

"Ah, yes, shall we proceed with the formalities?"

"We should," the Lord replied. Turning his heels to the exit, he said, "Sasuke is discharged as of now, once the procedure is completed. I invite the both of you to dinner in the Royal Garden this evening."

"Thank you. We'll be there."

"I'd love to see what goodwill Konoha has for Kusa as well."

He nodded before excusing himself from the ward. Sasuke opened the bathroom door a fraction, the gap wide enough to allow him to see Kakashi standing by the bed.

"Come here, Sasuke. He went out already."

The teen pushed the door wide opened, his eyes scanning the now vacant ward save for him and his teacher. Kakashi had taken both their bags and was approaching the teen by the bathroom.

"Don't worry," he reassured, running his callous hand through Sasuke's spikes.

Somehow, this time Sasuke was not so sure.

--

"Iwa has been rather brave lately. More than once they had intruded the borders of Kusa. Yet they did not send any representatives to explain their deeds. We could take actions against them but unfortunately, we do not seek for war."

The garden was well taken care off by the royal gardeners. Night was not a hindrance for its visitors to admire the beauty of it. In fact, the many garden lamps illuminating the area served only to enhance its splendour. Sasuke was only eating because it was the Lord's wish; Kakashi reminded him not to piss the target of their mission. The Lord himself was sipping sake and occasionally biting into a slice of chicken or fish. Kakashi on the other hand did not touch anything. His mask was still in place.

"Indeed. If that's the case, Kusa is already in danger. The explosions in the desert area just outside of Kusa's most guarded area are not planned very well. They used cheap explosive powder to empower the exploding tags. No doubt they were becoming less and less tactful about their military attacks."

"I do notice that myself. Apparently they're very well aware of our lack of shinobi power."

"It's a clever thing for Kusa to have allies from the Great Five Nations."

The Lord replaced his glass on the table. "But it costs a lot to send gifts to strengthen the truce we've built. Fortunately Kusa is blessed with fertile soil. A large part of our income derives from agriculture. But, since many citizens of Kusa are involved in planting crops, not many are willing to become ninja. We lose out, in a way."

Sasuke absent-mindedly chewed on the edge of his chopsticks. If the knuckle-headed Naruto managed to become the Hokage out of dumb luck, the blonde would have to tackle such depressing problems. It would be funny watching Naruto struggling through all the thinking. Sasuke exhaled wearily. Even then, Naruto would have probably appointed him as advisor or something; a very busy Naruto would result in a very busy Sasuke.

Damn Naruto…

"It's a very dangerous situation, Kakashi-san. I know you can understand the need to keep the data on Iwa's military forces a secret."

Immediately, Kakashi and Sasuke spared a swift glance at each other. The Lord was quick to notice the seemingly meaningless exchange and chuckled, pulling Kakashi's attention back to him.

"Kakashi-san, I know the _true _reason you're here with Sasuke-kun. Unfortunately, it's very unlikely for me to leak the data to Konoha."

The Jonin cleared his throat. He looked more solemn and his voice was monotonous, no longer laced with fake mirth and light-heartedness.

"You may hold on to the data but Kusa cannot do anything. If you sell the data to some other nations especially to your ally, wouldn't it do more benefits to Kusa? Iwa will then have to face more troubles from your ally countries as they have the better potential to impose more damage to Iwa. You win in the end."

"I'm very aware of that fact, Kakashi-san. But even if I don't sell the data away, Iwa is not going to attack us. We still have the Great Five Nations to support us."

Kakashi clicked his tongue. Who would have expected that the Lord of Kusa was that manipulative and shrewd?

"Your decisions will only stew the repressed animosity between nations. If the relationship is already brittle, why not split it?"

"Because it did not do anything good to my village. You'll see what I mean later, Kakashi-san. But that is only one of the reasons. You can say that I'm bidding my time, waiting for the best second to strike Iwa. The data I have is used to blackmail them. One day, I'll be able to bend Iwa. Iwa is larger than Kusa no doubt, but I am confident Iwa will bow to us."

"If you play your cards right, that is."

"I have all the aces in my hand, Kakashi-san."

"You do know that it is always the wiser choice to side with Konoha."

The Lord returned to sipping his sake. He watched the alcohol swirled in his porcelain cup. "Konoha and its accomplices are great powers to befriend with. Have I not said how Kusa status as their allies greatly deters Iwa from attacking us upfront? I am thankful, but that does not mean I should be their lapdog."

"That is not my intention, Lord –"

He raised his index, silencing Kakashi mid-sentence. "I know, Kakashi-san. Putting Iwa aside, there's a larger, more threatening storm brewing in the West."

"West…" Sasuke croaked – it was his first time speaking in front of the Lord during dinner. "Amegakure?"

The Lord nodded. Kakashi tensed in his seat.

"Ame is your ally. What are you afraid of?"

The food lay forgotten. Sasuke was placing all of his attention at the conversation.

"Ame is not my ally. The late _Hanzo_ is. Ever since his demise, Ame has changed drastically. The political principles, rules, constitution, almost everything has been revolutinised. I have stopped sending ambassadors there to renew our truce. The new Lord has never demanded the annual gifts so it was all good, for now."

"You're keeping a neutral tie with Ame?" Kakashi asked.

"Hardly," the Lord replied, laughing. "Kusa ninjas guarding the borders reported sightings of Akatsuki members –"

A chair scrapped on grass and Sasuke stood up abruptly, his chopsticks fell onto the ground. It was difficult to read the expression sketched on the teen's façade as his bangs were blocking.

"Excuse me."

The adults watched the teen stormed away, breaking into a run when he past by the royal guards.

But Sasuke was not the only person disturbed by the fact. Kakashi was supposed to make a detour into Ame after the mission was completed. If Akatsuki roamed the lands freely, they would have to walk along the Gaps again. And this time, Iwa would show no qualms in killing the Konoha nin since they had already secured the data.

"I apologise for Sasuke's misbehaviour. Thank you for the dinner. I'll have to take my leave as well."

The Lord nodded in approval, standing up to shake Kakashi's extended hand. It had been a very somber dinner… it just killed the mood. The Lord instructed his servants to clean the table before he disappeared behind the lush bushes of some yellow coloured flowers.

--

Kakashi went straight to his room; he was sharing it with Sasuke throughout their stay in Kusa. He knew Sasuke was still very touchy about any mentions of Akatsuki. Since the organisation was active in Ame and Ame was only half a day's walk away, he had to warn Sasuke not to act stupidly and go after Itachi right away.

"Sasuke!"

The door swung open as Kakashi pushed it harder than he meant.

There were no signs of Sasuke.


	12. Before Despair

The flowers were most fragrant at night. Someone told him that, someone from his long forgotten history. Even though Sasuke could remember the essence of his speech, the face of said speaker was very vague. He might have been family. Yet Sasuke could care less. All he knew was with every step he took in this quiet area of the Royal Garden, Itachi was also out there walking on Ame's ground. He was going to enter Ame's border with Kakashi in a couple days more. Then Itachi would pay. Therefore, for that happy future to come true Sasuke would have to work his ass off for the success of the mission. The Lord of Kusa gave him the creeps; he could still remember the heat of the wandering eyes on his body. How was he supposed to negotiate with a weirdo? That was when he remembered _Kakashi _was the one in charge of negotiating. So what purpose did he serve in this mission?

"Lonely?"

Sasuke froze, not anticipating another presence in his wake. He thought he would be alone at this time in this place. As the shadows faded illuminated by the moon beam, the handsome features of the Lord of Kusagakure came into view. The solemn figure wore a gentle smile on his lips, the piercing eyes intent on the teenager before him. Sasuke could almost feel laser heat where the Lord laid eyes on.

"Shouldn't you be back in your room? I'm sure Kakashi-san is already waiting for you."

"He said he'd go back?"

The Lord seemed to ponder at the question for a while before lifting his shoulders, a sign that he did not know. Sasuke turned to the bushes. It was so like Kakashi to poof away without telling.

"Maybe you don't need Kakashi-san in your room. For company to chit-chat or play cards with I mean," the Lord said as an afterthought. "If you'd like to spend the night camping out in the Royal Garden, be my guest."

Sasuke would have liked that, lying on his back with the stars cradling him to sleep. Then he would wake up in the morning covered in dew like the surrounding trees and grass.

"And if you need someone to talk to, I'll be beside you. You can't talk to the plants and expect replies can you?" the Lord said, taking a seat beside Sasuke who was already reclining on his arms; he had chosen a spot on the glade – shallow plants boarding the perimeter.

"I… don't really talk before I go to sleep."

"You sleep alone?"

"I _live _alone."

"I see."

Then it was silence before an owl hooted. The Lord shifted; his clothes rustling in the night.

"I haven't been spending my time outside since I was a Jonin. There's always paperwork to do and functions to attend, you know, the tedious things. It'll be nice to see the blue sky and clouds above you when you awake."

Sasuke gave a quick searching look at the older man. If he could know what the Lord like, he could use that to his advantage… it would definitely make the mission easier. Sasuke would not see this as bribe but an opportunity.

An opportunity indeed.

"Since you have a well-kept garden in your living place, I assume you love greeneries?"

The Lord rubbed his eyes. Sasuke wondered if he was sleepy. Then the older man spoke, "I do love greeneries but this garden isn't for my use. It's the habitat of many species of plants and herbs. As you know, almost everything grows in Kusa's soil. Botanist and medical practitioner conduct their research here. Once in a while the academy students drop by to de-stress… well, the Chunin teachers said they were de-stressing… they were more to chasing butterflies and squashing caterpillars. Can't really have that; it's perilous to the ecosystem."

The man was all loving and good-natured. He was not like that during dinner. He would not give a damn if a war occurred as long as Kusa was not involved.

"You love your village very much."

The Lord smiled again, his eyes reflecting the starlight. "I'm sure your Hokage feels the same towards her village."

They chatted for a while more, Sasuke doing the listening part most of the time. In fact, the only noises he made were "Yes" and "I see" whenever he felt it was the most appropriate time to do so. The Lord kept on talking about how flowers were one of Kusa's main sources of income; apparently the country exported flowers to neighbouring countries especially Ame since it was always wet there and flowers do not thrive well. Sasuke had to admit; the Lord was pretty sharp and intelligent. To exploit Kusa's potential to the maximum had been a mean feat. Under his reign, Kusa was able to rise to the height of its glory.

"Our progress is much needed. In time of war, power, influence and money are most important."

But of course, Sasuke would not expect anything lesser from the Lord. The man was one step ahead from the other smaller villages. Kusa had not made it to the Great Nations because of its size and the fact that ninjas were secondly ranked; farmers first.

"Power, influence, money…" the Lord repeated softly. Sasuke scanned the man again. Was he drifting away to sleep?

"Particularly money," he stated before straightening up. Sasuke followed suit. There was going to be a change of subject. Sasuke had a bad feeling for it.

"What are you implying?"

"I know how important money is. While I am quite certain that Konoha isn't using the data to make money, I am on the other hand concerned that Kusa's rice bowl will be jeopardized. The data is, after all a possible source of income for us. A lucrative one too."

"Are you coaxing me to pack my bags and leave Kusa by dawn?"

"No."

The Lord played mind games. Sasuke had to keep up his vigilance.

"I'm going to be very blunt; I know why you're coming."

Sasuke had that figured out.

"Though that doesn't mean you'll give us the data now that you know we'll go to whatever ends to retrieve it."

"Yes, and no."

So Sasuke had hope?

"I don't understand."

"You're not the first one to come. There were many in the past, and more will arrive. Youthful, bedazzling… all of them were the same."

In Sasuke's confusion, he had not realised when the Lord brought his hand up to caress the teen's pale cheeks.

"You however, are different. You're not as submissive as them. I _want_ the fieriness in my preys."

Immediately Sasuke slapped the hand away, repugnance clearly seen on his face. He scooted backwards to keep the Lord at bay.

"Oh, you don't know what you're supposed to do? Here I am giving you an opening for whatever tactics you're formulating. So you running away from Kakashi-san was not pre-planned?"

Sasuke was even more confused. None of the speech made sense.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"So you really don't know?" the Lord pressed, inching over to the teen until he had Sasuke below him on the grass. The teen was deeply stressed; his mind was not working and his alertness was down. The Lord proceeded to grab Sasuke's arms and held them tightly across the younger male's chest.

"I'm not the right person to tell you what you're supposed to do now that you have the Lord of Kusagakure _exactly _where you wanted him to be. Oh yes, trust me, when Kakashi-san tell you everything, you'll want this chance to come by again."

He dipped his head down so that his face was closer to Sasuke's. The latter was going to kick the man in his crotch but the Lord merely tightened his grip on the teen, threatening to break the wrists.

"To ease your mind, I'll tell you one thing. I'll not resort to rape just yet."

He then released the teen but grabbed Sasuke by the collar instead. With a might unknown to him, he was suddenly lifted from the ground and flung towards the bushes, landing neatly by the mound of soil.

"No doubt Konoha has the same intention as other villages. The thing worth noting is that Konoha's the _first _Hidden Village from the Five Great Nations to have come over for a… _negotiation. _I can almost work out the Hokage's plan. She wants to secure Fire Country's border. Iwa was, is and will always be Konoha's arch enemy."

The Lord flicked a speck of dirt from his chin and continued, "You, Sasuke-kun, is most unfortunate. To become Konoha's sacrifice is pitiful indeed."

"What the _hell _are you talking about?" the teen spat, completely perplexed by the conversation unfolding.

"You may not understand now. Your escort does."

What was Kakashi hiding from him?

"The Copy Ninja knows best. Given past history, he wants this mission to succeed badly. Also, if you want to know about Iwa's history with Konoha, he's the person to ask. Not that it'll worth your time…"

The taller man backed into the bushes, ready to take a move. He glanced once more at Sasuke who was still half-lying on dirt and said, "You're Konoha's offering to me, that part you have to understand. I'll give you one more chance to complete your mission. Meet me here tomorrow midnight if you want to resume your… _duty_."

The Lord frowned somewhat, taking in the very apparent shiver quaking Sasuke's figure. The fists clenched in earth were as unsteady as – the Lord suppose – the teen's palpitating heart. If they were under a totally different situation, pity might be in order. But the shinobi world was harsh.

"I don't believe that Kakashi-san will let this chance go by. Konoha had sent the worst man in its village to chaperon you to despair. I should be sympathizing with your predicament but really Sasuke-kun, you're here to do your job."

"I'm not servicing any men," the teen said bitterly yet with all the fire he had got left.

"That's not my decision to make, unfortunately. Tomorrow midnight, till then."

--

Kakashi did not tell him about the mission. He had asked, but the Jonin would not answer. So he waited patiently but it was all in vain. And it was the Lord himself who told him what he should be doing in Kusa.

Sasuke could not run.

He almost unhinged the door as he pelted into the darkened room that was assigned to him and his teacher. There by the lone window sill stood a rather grim stature with hoary hair. Kakashi had turned to look at the new presence the moment he heard loud footsteps on the corridor. Judging by the way Sasuke was glaring at him from across the chamber, he could only guess the teen had been told or found out something he should not have.

"I've been trying to locate your chakra since I've got back. You shouldn't be running about like you're in Konoha."

The teen was silent, fuming in his muteness as he closed the door behind him.

"What is bothering you, Sasuke?"

"How much do you care for the success of the mission?"

This time, it was Kakashi who remained silent. It was more to shock; Sasuke was not one to ask questions that will end up in long-winded discussions and explanations.

"As much as you do."

"Even though now I say I don't give a damn if I failed the mission?"

"What has really happened to you?" Kakashi asked, taking several steps forward to approach his student. Sasuke kept his glare on his teacher, not wanting to break eye contact even though he was deeply frightened by what Kakashi would say next. Sasuke wanted to tell his teacher everything the Lord had told him in the garden. What if Kakashi was the man described by the Lord?

"Will you do anything to guarantee the success of a mission?"

"No."

"If it involves this particular mission?"

"What are you getting at? You've been asking really weird questions, Sasuke."

The teen moved towards the bed, settling down on the mattress when he reached it.

It was then Kakashi understood. His next words were almost inaudible, "You've met the Lord."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Does it matter? What difference does it make knowing it now and one day earlier?"

"It matters because it wasn't you who broke the news!"

In a flash, Kakashi was down on his knees before Sasuke, surveying every inch of the teen's physique. He checked for scratches, blood stains, any signs of aggression and then he saw the bruises deeply imprinted on the arms. In a cracked whisper, Kakashi asked, "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing bad."

"What are these?" Kakashi asked again, wringing the arms to make his point.

"He held me tighter than he should have. If he didn't, I would've run away. And if I'd done just that, I wouldn't know I have to sleep with the Lord until tomorrow would I?"

The older man lowered his hand, his head bowing slightly as he tried to think of a way out. He could not bring himself to force Sasuke to sell his body for data.

"I've a question, Kakashi. What past did you share with Iwa?"

Kakashi would shatter if he had to relate his regrets and mournfulness to Sasuke; he had been doing that every single day since Obito's passing. He wanted to bury the hurting memory at the grave but knew better; Obito's memory lived with him. Burying what little remnants of his younger days would mean burying Obito with his own hands again. That would break him more.

"What happened between me and Iwa is not for everyone to know. I will carry it to my bitter grave. I don't want to burden you with my sins."

"You're hiding again."

"And for that, I understand why the Lord thinks I'm the kind of man who will betray his subordinate for a mission. I'm no longer the kid he heard of from the elders here."

He had implied that his past took roots in Kusa. That would suffice. Sasuke would be spared from the ugliness of war.

"I ask again, do you want this mission to succeed?"

"I do. We're shinobi," Kakashi replied almost instantly, his voice firm yet gentle at the same time. Sasuke's mind clicked, the doubts vanished. Midnight it is.

"I don't sell my friends and those dear to me, Sasuke."

The teen lifted his head and blinked; Kakashi had pulled his mask down. Sasuke reached for the scar marring his teacher's visage, Kakashi letting the fingers stroke the disfigurement. The air was that of contentment; words played no part in telling each other how meaningful it was to spend time alone in each other's company. Kakashi finally clasped his hand over Sasuke's and climbed onto the bed, lowering Sasuke on his back until he was on top of the teen.

"You said you're going to meet the Lord tomorrow?"

"Yes…"

"What d'you intend to do with him?"

Kakashi's voice turned husky, his eyes hidden by his fringes. He laid kisses on the teen's forehead, calming the building tension between them.

"I'll have to go through everything he puts me through…"

"And what is that?"

Kakashi licked the outer shell of Sasuke's earlobe, causing a faint blush to appear on the whitish cheeks.

"Say it Sasuke."

The teen said nothing, closing his eyes as he felt Kakashi's tongue sliding down his neck.

"It's the first step to accepting your mission. Say it." And he ended with a tender suck on Sasuke's Adam's apple.

"Ahn – it means… it means," then suddenly, he turned his head sideways and said softly, "having sex with the Lord."

He expected Kakashi to chuckle or even rolled on the floor bursting in laughter.

"Can you do it?" came the next question with all the solemnity in the world. So Kakashi understood his dilemma.

"No matter," the Jonin concluded when he received no reply. "I'll rehearse with you." And he started unzipping his outer vest. Sasuke leaned upwards, supporting his upper body with his elbows as he watched his teacher throwing article after article onto the floor.

"I don't want to rehearse. How can you rehearse things like that?"

"Teaching is what _I _do here. Remove your clothes – Sasuke?"

The boy had backed deep into the pillows behind his back, his wide eyes fixed upon the older man.

"Sasuke?"

"Out."

"Sa –"

"Out. Now."

As suspected, the teen had yet to forget what he had done the other day. What was he thinking, how could someone forget such a despicable act?

"Sasuke, I'm not going to hurt you."

"Get out," Sasuke repeated; his voice was beginning to show signs of the slightest shiver.

"You can't afford to be scared of people touching you! Let me help you…"

Kakashi's lips found their ways to Sasuke's, pressing softly before he looked into Sasuke's eyes for hints of agitation.

"We'll go through this at your pace. Slowly, okay?"

He knew the teen was tense. He noticed how Sasuke forgot to momentarily breathe or how his pupils contracted even in the dark. He took the initiative of ridding the troublesome top Sasuke was donning in old-fashion way; ripping the fabric with Rai chakra would only distress the teen further.

Sasuke had got no time. He had to be prepared for every possible situation by tomorrow. And that Kakashi could not provide.

"Lean and relax. Don't think, just let yourself go," Kakashi said before he kissed the collarbone. Moving slowly downwards, Kakashi left wet trails down the chest, stopping very quickly to give the nipple a prod with the tip of his tongue. Sasuke stopped breathing again and Kakashi laid his palm atop of the visible tent in Sasuke's pants.

"I've always knew you were sensitive. Use that to your advantage tomorrow."

Sasuke could not wait for Kakashi to ease the tension. He closed his legs, craving for friction when he could personally rub his thighs together but Kakashi clamped his palm on the lump just as soon as moved his lower limbs. The sensation gripped Sasuke so hard he curled into a ball and clutched at his teacher's wrist, a loud moan slipped past his lips.

"What do you think you're doing, Sasuke?"

With his free hand, he turned the numb body over so that the teen was lying on his back again. This time, he kissed the nipple and grinned when the teen's knees twitched a bit. Kakashi took it whole in his mouth, the slick tongue swiping against the hardening button and the smooth skin on its base. Sasuke's pants were harsher and his clench on Kakashi was getting somewhat painful. Kakashi gripped harder at the teen's crotch and the legs collapsed onto the mattress.

"Kakashi… enough…"

"This is no where close to having sex with another man."

Since Sasuke was practically immobilized with pleasure, Kakashi wasted no time in tearing the pants away with one yank. Much to Kakashi's relief (and chagrin) Sasuke seemed to have not taken notice at all.

"This," Kakashi said, his index rubbing at the ring muscle around Sasuke's hole, "is what sex is all about."

Coldness flooded Sasuke's fingers. He was beginning to shake again.

"Kakashi…"

"I'm not going to take advantage of you," the Jonin reassured, whispering gently into Sasuke's ear. "I'll try to make you familiar with the sensation of having something inside here."

And he slipped his middle finger in. The muscles immediately clenched down on Kakashi and Sasuke cringed at the foreign matter sticking inside him. Kakashi kept his finger still but lowered his head to Sasuke's crotch instead.

Sasuke looked down at his teacher nervously, trying to keep his lower region as rigid as he could. "What are you doing –"

He clasped a hand over his mouth, drowning his moans of ecstasy as Kakashi took the dripping member whole in his hot mouth. The tongue slid upwards and downwards against the underside of his penis and the finger embedded within Sasuke was starting to move in the same tempo. The fingering was painful but the blow job was stupefying. Sasuke's hip moved in the same rhythm, his half parted lips serving as portal to more gasp and rapid intake of air. Kakashi's pace quickened and Sasuke was lost. He had long surrendered his body to his teacher and when he finally ejaculated into Kakashi's mouth, he knew he was a lost case.

He was as dirty as Itachi, inundated in sins.

Kakashi knew tomorrow would not be as forgiving as today.

--

He made sure that Sasuke was still fast asleep when he snuck out the room to the rooftop. He summoned an owl from his scroll and slipped a neatly rolled parchment around the wire fastened to the bird's leg; they were going to continue with the detour to Ame before they return to Konoha. Kakashi was well informed of Akatsuki's movements by the border; he also heard that their movements were not as active lately if compared to previous months. Hopefully they would be able to avoid encounters with the S-rank criminals especially a certain Mangekyou Sharingan-wielding Uchiha.

By the time he came back to the room, Sasuke was already missing. The teen would probably be prowling the village to his heart content; Kakashi knew despite his effort to train the lithe body yesterday, Sasuke was still far from comfortable to such activities especially with another man. He did not see his student for the rest of the day; he had been making rounds at the markets, the shopping centers, the rivers and the parks. Sasuke preferred quiet places and Kakashi thought he had visited them all.

He must have missed it.

As the clock ticked closer to evening, Kakashi retreated to their room. If searching for Sasuke was fruitless, he ought to be doing something more helpful. He could not see how his doings would be helpful to the teen's peace of mind though.

Kakashi had lain out a simple white silk yukata on the bed; it was the one he made Sasuke test in the changing room. Sasuke would need something easy to come out of yet able to make him appealing, in a sensual way. He also filled another bag with a cotton yukata of a darker shade; that was meant to be worn after the mission. Kakashi purposely chose a yukata since Sasuke would probably be reduced to wreck and would want to spend less than a second to change, a darker colour since blood doesn't show on it and cotton since that was more comfortable to put on. Kakashi had thought of everything. He himself was shaking inside at the thought of Sasuke's hip joining with the Lord's, tears of pure agony tainting the grass.

It pained him deeply.

Kakashi had almost slipped a kunai into the sleeves of the silk yukata but thought better; with Sasuke's mental state it was easy for the teen to resolve to murder when the Lord approached. Killing would do more harm then good so Kakashi had to do away with any forms of hidden weapons and poisons. A sleeping potion might work for self-defense but the Lord was a very alert and cautious man. A slight hint of betrayal and the negotiation was off. That man would definitely proceed to taking Sasuke through the night but Konoha would not get the data.

Sasuke's sacrifice would be for naught.

Kakashi's stream of thoughts broke at the creak of the door. Sasuke was back. The teen nodded awkwardly at the sight of Kakashi sitting on the bed and went straight to the bathroom. The Jonin stood up and went to a corner, allowing all the space Sasuke needed before he sent his student to hell. Right now, right before Sasuke walked out of the door, Kakashi wanted to pamper the teen with everything he would have wanted. Some attention, a pat on the head, some reassurance that he would be there to support Sasuke's battered body after midnight, anything. He watched the teen changed into the outfit he had chosen and spoke nothing when Sasuke edged towards the door.

The time had come.

"Sasuke," Kakashi croaked suddenly when the door was partially ajar, Sasuke's hand on the silver knob. "What are you thinking at the moment?"

"How I'm going to complete my mission."

It was too mechanical that to Kakashi, it seemed that the boy had memorised the sentence beforehand.

"Take care of yourself. Watch your back."

"I took the mission myself, I'll see to it success." And Sasuke turned to his teacher, a small smile gracing his lips. "If it's too much, I'll grit my teeth and get it done quickly."

And the door shut completely.


	13. Do Your Mission

Sasuke reached early at the garden. Would the Lord think that he was enthusiastic about sex? Sasuke had _not _had one, and Kakashi knew it… what about the Lord? Would the man treat him funny since he had not engaged in such intimacy? He wondered what he should do to pacify himself. In battles, no matter how dire the situation was, he would never lose his cool. But here he was, standing right in front of the Royal Garden's main entry with his ribcage breaking as it tried to contain his maddeningly beating heart. The Lord had decided to have the night alone; not a single guard was in the vicinity.

Sasuke braved the darkened pathway, locating the Lord's chakra and it brought him to the glade where they met yesterday evening. The man was sitting on the ground, his hand clutching at a white porcelain bottle Sasuke guessed was sake. Alcohol… certainly sex would taste better drunk than somber.

"I see that you've come."

Sasuke's jaw was set when he heard the Lord. He approached the man and took a seat beside him, gazing at the stars to occupy his sight with anything else but not his soon-to-be-sex-partner. The Lord swirled the content of the bottle – Sasuke heard the liquid swishing against the walls – and brought it up to the younger man's face.

"You want a cup?"

To this, Sasuke shook his head. He pushed the sake away and the Lord corked the vessel up.

"You don't drink? Most offerings are so nervous they drink whatever I offer them."

"Underage," Sasuke mumbled, coming up with whatever logical reason his mind would spew.

"Yeah… underage… you're not allergic to sake are you?"

Why does it matter now, Sasuke asked mentally. He looked at his knee and pretended not to have listened to the Lord. He did not feel like talking. The older man sighed. So his attempt to lighten the mood and set the atmosphere up had gone to waste…

They continued to bask under the moonlight in silence, the sound of the Lord downing his drink break the stillness once in a while. As time drew on, Sasuke felt even more unsettled. Every time the Lord shifted in his place, Sasuke would tense, expecting the Lord to clamber over him and started molesting every part of his body the hands could reach. But the Lord did not. In fact, Sasuke doubted the man noticed how he reacted to the little movements.

"Have you seen war, Sasuke?"

Sasuke let the question go unanswered again. He had never seen war. The closest one to war which had hit Konoha was the ambush by Suna and Oto. And the one before that was when Kyuubi razed the village to the grounds. But he was still in his mother's womb when that took place.

"We're at the brink of war, Sasuke," the Lord commented, his speech still very steady despite the amount of sake disappearing behind his throat. "And Akatsuki is in it."

Sasuke stiffened at the sound of Akatsuki. His elder brother was taking part in the war? So he could meet him in a proper battlefield after all? The Lord glanced sideways at the teen and chuckled, returning to his bottle when Sasuke turned to glare at him.

"What vengeance… I've heard of your tragic past, but only as stories. You know how stories circulate… the truth is always clouded by exaggerations and fairy tales. Well, Konoha sure is a lucky village to have a killer machine by their side. We need all the motivation to put an end to Akatsuki. Mind you, the organisation may consist of ten men but their strength equals to that of a small Hidden Village like Kusa." The Lord turned to face Sasuke's profile and said very softly, "I wonder if you can find solace in slaughtering the person who hacked your entire clan…?"

Sharingan bled into his eyes as anger rushed. His blood pounded in his ears and his muscles flexed under the words. Sasuke swung his body around, ready to pummel the idiot who dared to taunt him but found the Lord's uninterested visage. He could _easily _make a pulp out of this man… if only he could strangle the neck there, crushing his windpipe… His fist came to a stationary mid air and Sasuke clenched his jaws, lowering his fist.

"Hn, now I see why, Sasuke-kun. _Uchiha _Sasuke. This must be a treat for you. You come to serve your mission and you get news of your brother's whereabouts. Then I'll tell you something. Your brother had been appearing quite persistently at Kusa's borders one month back. Brief sightings of him in the village itself were also reported. I was going to meet him personally if he did something queer but so far, nothing bad had happened. My people were spared, the crops were left alone… according to an undisclosed ANBU report, he and his partner came here in search of news of Bijuu. I myself have superficial knowledge of what Bijuu is but whatever Akatsuki is doing cannot be beneficial to the Great Nations and us."

The onset of war was disturbing as it is.

"Are you afraid of war, Sasuke?"

A light of self-belief flashed across his face. He replied, "We're going to be on the front line when it comes."

"Good. Well enough of the talk, then. Shall we?"

Anxiety struck Sasuke, his eyes widening in the dark at the Lord's words. The older man crept closer until he finally sat right in front of the teen, his face cold and indifferent. Sasuke gulped, not entirely sure of what to do next.

"Do you want to complete your mission now?"

The Lord was presenting him with a choice. With whatever bit of self-reassurance he could muster, he consoled himself briefly before nodding meekly, a sign to tell the Lord that he was indeed, ready. His quivering fingers came to the loose knot of his sash, tugging at the ribbon to let it fall onto his lap. The robes came free and parted gracefully before the Lord's piercing gaze. Sasuke looked away. It seemed that all sense of confidence was slowly seeping away as he bare more and more of himself to the Lord. Then slowly, he thumbed the collar off his left shoulder, noticing how the other man's eye caught the cascading fabric with passing lust in the irises.

Blood started pumping hard in his veins.

"Hmm… pretty…"

Sasuke blushed even more furiously. But a sudden shift in front of his face shocked him to reality.

"Let's begin…" the older man whispered before placing his lips gently on Sasuke's. The teen sank into a stupor, too flabbergasted to register how the Lord's kiss quickly evolved into a hungry, selfish exchange of saliva. A callous thumb came to pull at the teen's chin, forcing him to receive the intruding tongue with feigned compliance.

In truth, Sasuke was disgusted, _very _disgusted.

He flinched when the Lord cupped at his manhood through the robes as if he was estimating how well endowed his offering was. The kiss was relentless; Sasuke flinched visibly when the man started kneading at the limp lump. Slowly, he felt his body being pushed downwards until his back was flat on the lush grass. His robes were strewn around his naked body and he shuddered when the Lord withdrew, wiping his lips with the back of his hand. Sasuke wheezed, reimbursing his oxygen-deficient lungs with air, his arms splayed uselessly beside his head.

"A pretty sight indeed…" Sasuke caught the words. The Lord appraised his nimble body, looking at how the well toned chest deflated with each exhale, how the skin flushed when the chilly air skimmed across it… and how goose bump formed where unwanted touch lingered.

"Touch yourself."

Again, Sasuke blinked. He could have heard it wrongly.

"What?" he croaked.

"Touch yourself," the Lord reiterated, his head lowered so that he was looking at the younger ninja eye to eye. Quite firmly, he took Sasuke's unmoving hand by the wrist and guided it downwards, much to Sasuke's horror.

"If you don't understand what I'd just ordered you to do, I'll just have to _show_ you how it's done."

Sasuke fought against the Lord's grip when his finger brushed against the sparse pubic hair at his crotch. But the older man had expected some resistance. He tightened his hold on the teen, successfully forcing a short pained scream to ring in the space; he could have broken the bones if he wanted to. Sasuke cursed silently; he did not consent to becoming a plaything tonight. A sacrifice, yes, not a toy.

"Well?" the Lord said, a hint of amusement coating his word.

Desolated, Sasuke surrendered and wrapped his fist loosely around his penis, closing his eyes as he did so. A triumphant smile glided past the other man's façade though it was missed by the younger male. The Lord removed his hold on the teen and watched Sasuke's thumb rub at the head, the other four fingers prodding gently into the shaft. The self-masturbation was slow as if the teen's heart was not in it but the Lord was not complaining. He took the opportunity to envelope his tongue and lips around one of Sasuke's nipples, causing another surge of trembles to course through the body. He bit at the tip lightly and a more audible gasp was heard. The Lord smirked before sandwiching the nub between two lines of straight teeth, pulling and tugging at the hardening nipple without mercy. Sasuke cried, his useless arm came to grasp at the Lord's chest to force him back. It was a reflex action to react to pain more than pleasure. In fact, Sasuke honestly could say he found no bliss in the doings.

His member stayed stubbornly limp in his fisting. Apparently, the Lord was not pleased. He grabbed a mop of the raven hair, yanking it upwards to force the teen to look at him as he said, "Look, you can do this the easy way or the hard way, you're going to give yourself to me tonight."

"I'm trying, damn it," Sasuke choked. No matter how much he stroked, how feverishly he dug into the slit, there was no feeling to it. It felt nothing more than scratching an appendage that had been itchy from a mosquito bite.

"You're not trying hard enough then. In that case –" the Lord broke off as he reached for the clasp securing his pants to his waist, "forget about your pleasure. We're going to emphasise on _mine_."

"What the – ugh –"

The Lord dragged Sasuke up to his knees, his head held up at an uncomfortable angle in the air. His larynx felt tight and Sasuke swallowed, willing some lubrication back to his parched throat. He heard a zip being undone and then, in his face stood a ghastly looking semi-hardened manhood. He struggled instinctively to put as much distance as he could between himself and the _thing _but the Lord's grip on his hair was rather painful. The tip of the member nudged at his bottom lip and he shrunk away. Fear mounted.

"Suck."

Sasuke had never given a blowjob to anyone else despite receiving a number of that within the last few days. He never wanted people to take him in and he definitely did not want to take _other _people in. To him, it was downright uncivilized and improper.

"No," he replied flatly.

"No?"

Sasuke was going to repeat his answer but found no voice to speak when a hard punch dug deep into his guts, bringing stomach acid lurching behind his tongue. He gasped and the Lord took advantage of it; he thrust his member into the opened mouth until it was engulfed midway by the teen.

"Suck, or I'll make you regret your coming here."

Sasuke felt his heart punctured at what he was forced to do. He had wanted the mission to be clean and direct. He wanted to end it fast so he could go back to Kakashi's side and put the nightmare behind his back forever.

Sasuke wanted to disappear.

Reluctantly, he released his hand which was clenching at his sides where the Lord had landed a blow and held the penis in place. He closed his lips around the shaft and ran his tongue around it. As inexperience as he was, Sasuke did his best to whirl his slick organ around the head, the slit and what veins which were starting to show up. The tension was building in the organ; Sasuke felt it growing and he winced when a foul taste invaded his taste buds.

"Ahh… suck, Sasuke…"

The teen unwillingly complied, fastening his mouth around the head and sucked slowly, extracting more of that fetid substance into his cavern. Sasuke willed himself to endure, trying very hard not to pull back and puke his mouth clean onto the grass. Streaks of saliva ran down his chin and Sasuke worked on the rigid manhood, ignoring the grunts and moans from the other male.

"Ahg, stop!"

Sasuke gladly did so but before he knew it, the Lord had hooked his arms around the teen's knees and hoisted him into his lap. Deftly, he positioned the horrorstruck ninja between his thighs, guiding his rock hard erection towards the puckered hole.

"No…"

The Lord pressed his tip into the entrance, two fingers pushing at the rim to assist entry. Sasuke's mouth was half opened in silent scream. The sudden agony was unbearable but if he thought that was the peak, he was wrong.

Very wrong…

A portion of the head was in and without another warning, the Lord penetrated all the way in with one powerful drive. When his hip slammed into Sasuke's, the teen screamed with all his might. Blood splattered onto the ground where their bodies joined; the skin shredded and was further sawed when the Lord pumped. Sasuke hazily imagined his blood slicking the entrance but it still felt like sawdust biting at his anus.

If this was the definition of sex, Sasuke would rather die an anal virgin.

His legs clung tightly around the Lord's body, his throat parched from all the shattering yells he made with each plunge. Grass blades lay loose as Sasuke practically tore them out, clawing at them when verbal cries did nothing to soothe the agony. His face screwed in torture yet the Lord did nothing to make the hurt fade. If anything, his movements were getting more erratic that it made the pain come in shorter intervals. Sasuke felt madness claiming him. Five minutes… no, it should be more… Sasuke relented. He still cringed at the shooting pain but he struggled no more. He allowed his lifeless penis to be knocked aside by the Lord when he penetrated deeper into him; he allowed the Lord to angle his body at anyways he liked.

To Sasuke, he had a promise to hold onto. He told Kakashi he would grit his teeth and let it be over. It hurt, but he would do it.

And as his body got accustomed to the sensations and his mind giddy with jabbing stabs in his lower region, he could calmly ignore the Lord humping between his thighs. He cast his teary eyes around the Lord's neck and saw it shimmering under the moonlight; the accursed data which was somehow squeezed into a delicate crystal vial. Sasuke weakly close his hand around the vial, pulling at it before dropping his hand by his side.

"Mine…" he muttered, closing his eyes as nausea took over him. "Mine…"

Hotness filled him in the rectum and Sasuke shuddered violently. The Lord let out a satiated cry, his grip on Sasuke's hip tightening enough to leave bruises by morning. The flaccid organ was roughly removed and Sasuke bit back a whimper, rolling over to his side to cross his arms around his lower abdomen, his entire form curled in a fetal position. The cool surface of the bottle was very apparent against his numb fingers and Sasuke felt his consciousness drifting away. The Lord did not speak; maybe he did but the teen was too weary to notice.

Something pulled him back to realism when the Lord nipped playfully at his earlobe.

"Done already?"

It was not over yet?

Effortlessly, he was turned over so that his back was facing the Lord and his front was on the grass. A hand slithered up his torso to tweak at an abused nipple. Sasuke closed his fingers around the hand to stop the teasing but the Lord retaliated by cupping his balls. Sasuke moaned, still not used to having his privates fondled.

"You're still so tense after so long. You can decide for yourself whether you want to just go through this or enjoy it deep in your soul."

"Tsk – never – ouh!"

The dull throbbing in his anus peaked when the blunt tip rubbed against the hole.

"Oh, there's a slight tear here."

Sasuke needed not telling; he was very aware of rivulets of warm liquid – blood – falling down his inner thigh. How was he going to walk back after this?

The Lord pressed his front against Sasuke's back and sunk his head into Sasuke's shoulder, breathing in the aftermath of sex on the panting teen. Sasuke's knees almost buckled under both their weight but he never intended to showcase weakness in front of the man.

"Get off –"

He never got to end his sentence; a bloodcurdling shriek resonated in the glades when the Lord entered him again. More hot substances dripped onto the ground – blood and semen alike – and the sick squishing sound was heard more audibly as the Lord make his way in and out of his victim. Sasuke threw his mask of hardy expression away and did nothing to stop the brimming tears of agony from falling. He hid his face in the grass, hoping his very loud screams would be muffled by the earth. How much stamina had the Lord has? When his legs gave way and they both lay flat on the ground, the Lord still pumped unremittingly into his bloodied anus. His back was starting to pulsate…

Sasuke wanted to wake up from the terrifying moment. Was there anyone to save him?

--

Sasuke had no idea how he managed to push himself up despite all the aches and torment. The Lord was no where in sight and the teen absent mindedly slipped into his old robes. Not bothered to tie the sash properly, the robes draped haphazardly over his abused psyche as he made his way back to his room. He staggered so many times he found it ridiculous to have the vigour to pick himself up and continued limping towards his destination. His face was blank, his eyes empty as his mind is filled with void. He wrapped his arm around his middle, knowing that the Lord's substance was still within him after all the ejaculations the man made without pulling out. The stairs leading to Kakashi's room was tortuous; they were more like staircase to Hell. When he lifted his leg to ascend the next step, his tear was irritated and he almost tripped on his feet. But he told himself that Kakashi was just there… he wanted his teacher to come and scoop him up and saved him from the entire painful walk but he was damn too tired to raise his chakra. In fact, his chakra might be unnoticeable after all.

Sasuke tugged lightly at the door knob and let it open. As light spilt into the black room, he saw his teacher sitting hunched on the bed, his face deep in his palms. Kakashi immediately looked up when he discovered the new presence and sprang up from his seat. He was too relieved to see Sasuke standing by the door way but his face turned to that of shock and utmost concern when he discerned how pale and wasted his student looked.

"I'm back…"

Sasuke allowed a very faint smile to ghost his lips before he closed his eyes, his body falling to the side towards the polished tiles. Kakashi sped to his side, catching him in time and held him tight against his chest. His heightened sense of smell caught traces of blood – Sasuke's – and all the forbidden liquids caking the teen's form. He took Sasuke in his arms and lowered his student on his bed, removing the robes to study to what extent had the Lord hurt Sasuke. Purplish bruises were everywhere and they were especially concentrated at the hip and thigh area. Kakashi could not bring himself to look at the anus; the sight of blood originating from there was enough to make his chakra boil. Had the Lord no conscience? Sasuke was not a common whore to fuck deep into the ground.

And at the end of it all, Kakashi could only hug his still unconscious student, wanting to tell him that he would be there for all the comfort Sasuke needed.

--

"Good morning, Sasuke."

Sasuke shielded his eyes from the sunlight. Morning had come. Kakashi bowed over him and wrapped a large cloak over his body. That was when Sasuke noticed he had been sleeping in the nude.

"No, don't get me wrong," Kakashi said hurriedly when Sasuke tried to rise, grimacing at the sharp pain in his lower region. "I was cleaning your body."

Kakashi then pushed Sasuke gently back into the mattress before backing away, in case Sasuke had suddenly developed phobia to touch. He had a bit of that already prior to this incident and Kakashi was now deeply troubled at Sasuke's circumstances.

He was not going to be able to hold his student anymore.

"How are you feeling?"

Sasuke scoffed at the question, his eyes sweeping to the windows instead of his teacher's face. "I thought the first thing you're going to ask is 'did you get the data'."

"Sasuke…"

"I got it."

Slowly as though it needed a lot of effort to do so, Sasuke loosened his right fist to reveal the little dainty vial he had been holding onto since yesterday. Kakashi held the hand, squeezing Sasuke's hand as he did so. He did not know what Sasuke was holding when he cleaned the body. He coaxed the fingers to loosen, wanting to see what the teen was securing so dearly. Suddenly, even to him whose emotions were long nullified in missions, the data felt so cheap if compared to what Sasuke had to give to retrieve it.

"Sasuke… I'll need you to lie on your front."

"No," Sasuke said, shoving the vial into Kakashi's hand and scooted as far as his weakened body could to the opposite side of the bed. "No," he repeated.

"I'm not going to do anything. Just this," Kakashi explained, showing a hot pack in his hand. "It'll soothe your backache."

Sasuke blinked and closed his mouth, stemming what other protests he was going to say. He rolled over gingerly, burying his face in his pillow and allowed Kakashi to remove the cloak as something warm was pressed into the tailbone.

"I've never seen you this gentle," Sasuke whispered, relishing the slight massage Kakashi was applying on his hip.

Sasuke faded into another sleep and Kakashi stopped his ministration, placing the hot pack on the bedside counter. The vial which was now tucked deep in his breast pocket was bought with a boy's innocence. It better did something good to Konoha after all Sasuke had gone through for it.

Kakashi sent another message to Konoha, informing the Hokage that they were going to reach home in 4 days or so. His plan was to head for Ame tomorrow when Sasuke would be feeling better and regain some uses of his legs. They were going to leave quietly; the fact that they come under the pretext of Konoha's gesture of goodwill was nothing more than an act. Kakashi knew that the highly respected Hanzou was no longer the Lord of Ame but they were not going to darken Ame's doorstep. He was going to take Sasuke to the borders, walking along its perimeters to avoid unnecessary scuffles with the guardians of the country. Akatsuki was another threat of an entirely different level… they would have to count of luck to avoid any meeting with its members. Then they would reach Fire Country and back to Konoha – home. The journey would be more relaxed… it would do Sasuke good.

It allowed him time to heal.


	14. Needed Healing, Needing You

"Let's go."

Sasuke was silent along the way. As they leapt through trees and foliages, not a single word was exchanged even though on normal occasions, such situation was to be expected. The young ninja was not a chatterbox unlike his two other companions. Though Kakashi missed their squabbles, with Sasuke he missed the don't-know-don't-care air and attitude. They traveled at a lower speed to suit Sasuke's comfort; the teen was still sore all over, Kakashi knew. Sasuke was not one to complain and he would never slow his teacher down for petty reasons, more so if the reasons revolve around him. Kakashi sighed as he glanced back.

When Kakashi said he missed the don't-know-don't-care air and attitude, he really meant it. The ninja trailing his shadows was still indifferent on the outside but he was very hollow within. The eyes were hazy and the movements were mechanical. Sometimes Kakashi caught him drifting into his deep, dark reverie and the silver haired man would purposely trample on a dry stick to wake his student up. That had worked so far. He would need Sasuke alert around the clock.

Kakashi was not blaming him. He understood.

And that was why as soon as they reach Ame, they were going to check into somewhere decent to spend the night. Sasuke might have been comfortable enough with the idea of camping out. Kakashi however was _not _going to allow his student to relive the horrible memory from past encounter. When traumatized people are left to their own devise in the dark, bad things happen, especially when their surrounding reminds them of their ordeal.

Whatever the Lord did to Sasuke, it was out in the garden. Sasuke would never look at trees and shrubs the same again.

Or maybe Kakashi was oversensitive.

"You're ready to move already?" Kakashi asked, the younger male standing nonchalantly in front of him. Apparently Sasuke had risen from his seat by the tree trunk and was currently urging his teacher to carry on with the journey, albeit non-verbally. As a reply, Sasuke nodded and knelt beside the rock where his belongings were located.

That was the normal Sasuke he knew; quiet and sullen. But as if the act could fool Kakashi; he was much too experienced for that.

Then once again, they sped through the streaming sunlight.

--

For a rather wet nation, the outskirt area of Ame was not as soggy as Kakashi had imagined. Even though Kakashi had traveled very often – completing missions – he was stranger to this area as much as Sasuke was. The thing was, Sasuke was lost too deep in his mind to notice those conspicuous glances and looks his teacher had been tossing over. Kakashi had not forgotten Sasuke's initial "ambition"; when they reached the borders of Ame, he was going to hunt Uchiha Itachi down. Now that they were finally here, the teen had not expressed his will to take his brother's life. In fact, he had not spoken yet.

"Sasuke?"

Kakashi paused in his tracks and the younger one walked straight into him, oblivious to Kakashi's standstill. He rubbed his nose where it collided with his teacher's back and glared at Kakashi. Even then, the glare lacked its usual ferociousness.

"We'll be staying at this inn tonight," Kakashi said, indicating the modest, cozy building they were standing in front of. Sasuke nodded, not bothering to look at where Kakashi was pointing and stood quietly, waiting for his teacher to enter first.

"All right," Kakashi mumbled and walked in through the drapes, Sasuke close behind him.

Sasuke's somberness was unnerving. Kakashi said nothing; it took him as much effort to look at Sasuke's mentally unstable state as Sasuke needed to maintain eye contact.

A bellboy – or probably a common assistant working in the inn – handed them their keys and pointed them the general direction to their room. They were going to share; leaving Sasuke alone was the last thing Kakashi was about to do. The area was adequately brightened, the ventilation was good and best of all, there was an outdoor hot spring to wallow in. It was a unisex one to Kakashi's relief. When he informed Sasuke of it, the teen had somehow managed to cast an incredulous glower. It may be very swift but that reaction was a huge difference if compared to his morning self.

"Don't look at me like that. I am _not _going to look at the girls."

"You purposely pick this inn for the girls."

And that was Sasuke's first sentence of the day.

In truth, Kakashi wanted more people to huddle around the pool. It would hopefully ease the tension and anxiety Sasuke would be facing after the incident. Swimming around naked in the wake of many men was not going to happen – Kakashi would not allow it – and that was why he searched for a unisex hot spring even at the expense of his dignity.

At the moment, anything beneficial for Sasuke goes.

They both waddled past a group of young ladies, ignoring the studying gazes they fix on the ninjas and settled for an unoccupied spot by the fake boulder.

"Ame's hot spring is comparable to Konoha's. It's truly magnificent!" Kakashi commented, dipping half of his face into the soothing water. Sasuke returned to his introvert self, his eyes focusing of the reflection of the moon. Kakashi decided he had had enough.

"Sasuke, you can't –"

"I just remembered, Kakashi," Sasuke cut, his expression still stony, "What happened between you and Kusa in the War?"

Not good. Kakashi vividly recalled saying that a couple of days back. If Sasuke was thinking about the unanswered question, it meant the teen was still dwelling on his past.

"Why are you still thinking of it?"

Sasuke went back to ignoring his teacher, preferring to ogle at the moon again. He then heard a resigned sigh and Kakashi straightened up.

"The Ninja Second War started before I was made Jounin. When I was 13, I was sent out to lead my team for the first time on a sabotage mission. Things went awry and we had a run-in with a batch of Iwa-nins at Kusa. I lost my best friend there." Kakashi paused momentarily, scratching his scalp with his wet hand. "That was pretty much it. My weakness lied in my ideals. Even now, the people of Kusa still see me as the idiot I used to be."

"Your ideals?"

"That the success of a mission is my first priority, even more than the safety of my comrades," Kakashi ended with a wry grin.

"Teamwork, huh?" Sasuke muttered, hiding an understanding smile beneath his bangs.

"Okay, that's enough. It's time for us to get some rest."

Kakashi stood up, the hot water splashing mightily on Sasuke who was still sitting in the pool. He got up as well and followed his teacher out, much to the gleefulness of the same group of young ladies whom they passed by for the second – and last – time. When they were back in the dim bedroom, Kakashi arranged the futon as Sasuke took out pillows from the wardrobe. And then, within seconds both of them were already tucked between layers of comforters. Sasuke had his back against his teacher while Kakashi lay contentedly on his back, gazing at the bamboo ceiling. Once or twice he looked over at the younger one, wondering whether he was starting to fall asleep.

"Sasuke?"

At the slight tensing of the shoulders, Kakashi knew Sasuke was still wide awake like him. But if the teen wanted to _appear _asleep, Kakashi was generous enough to provide him with the opportunity. He rolled over to the other side and spoke, casting his voice towards the opposite direction. If Sasuke did not answer, so be it.

"We'll be back at Konoha by tomorrow night. Even then, I hope you can understand why I won't be sending you straight back home."

True enough, Sasuke did not reply. Kakashi continued, "I'll take you to the hospital first thing when we reach the main gates."

The comforters rustled somewhat and Kakashi turned back to face his student. He found Sasuke shivering under the covers; only his raven hair was to be seen from the outer sheet. Immediately the older ninja pushed himself up and leaned over the other male, tapping gently at the wrapped up form.

"Sasuke?"

The shivering persisted and Kakashi tugged at the hem of the material. When it did not budge – Sasuke was holding on to it from within – he started to get slightly worried.

"Sasuke? Enough of this, come out. Seriously –" Kakashi locked his grip tightly on the edge of the fabric and with all deliberation he yanked at it with one powerful motion.

"Are you all right?" Kakashi asked again, this time truly alarmed at the shape of his student. Sasuke was curled in a loose ball on the futon, his fists digging into the cotton. His eyes were screwed shut and his jaw was set. Kakashi had to shake him forcibly to make him look at reality.

"Can you hear me? Are you okay?" he reiterated his question. Slowly, black glazed irises bore back into Kakashi's mismatched ones, a slight frown marring the pale forehead.

"I'm not okay…" Sasuke whispered weakly, his fists slackening on the fabric only to come up to rest on Kakashi's collar. Kakashi returned the frown, concern clearly carved into every line of his face. "How can I be okay, Kakashi? I can feel him all over no matter what I do, where I go. I can't stand looking at my reflection, being alone in my sole company, he's everywhere."

Kakashi shut his eyes before closing his arms tightly around Sasuke. If he had to resort to this…

"Use me, Sasuke."

… he would.

"Use me. Use me to wash away the filth from your body."

He laid Sasuke on his crumpled futon, pushing back the strands of hair sticking onto his cheeks. "Use me…"

He lowered himself over Sasuke, tilting his head at an angle to capture the half opened lips with utmost care. He probed the outer part of the mouth with the tip of his tongue, not daring to search further in case Sasuke was not ready. But Sasuke neither fought nor return the kiss. He merely lay limp below Kakashi, accepting whatever his teacher was administering.

Kakashi pulled back and rested his forehead on Sasuke's. Again, Sasuke said nothing.

"Don't do this, Sasuke," Kakashi breathed. "Don't lose your will to live! Do you want this? If you don't, you can always say no."

The teen looked up with blurry eyes. Kakashi gave up, sinking his head in the juncture between Sasuke's shoulder and neck. If all he could do was to provide company, that would suffice. He kept on holding the smaller built to his chest and almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand being placed at the small of his back. The hold was meek but it was Sasuke's.

It was Sasuke's honest action.

"Can you cure me?" came the soft question.

At least, hope lingered.

Kakashi kissed him again, this time it was more passionate and fiery than the one before. Sasuke allowed the other man to run his tongue over the insides of his mouth, his hand gripping tightly on the night robe. There was a vast difference between the Lord and Hatake Kakashi; the latter was so much more gentle and respectful that he came to cherish every touch Kakashi laid on his body. The older ninja trailed butterfly kisses on the nook of his neck, his hand coming to the waist area to pull at the sash. As much as Kakashi wanted to straighten up and take in the lustful form of the young man, it would only aggravate his comfort and shake him up more than needed. So Kakashi returned to kissing the collarbone, letting his fingers scampering over the somewhat defined abdomen.

"I … no, don't –"

"Sasuke, no. Open your eyes."

Reluctantly, the eyelids lifted and Kakashi spoke, "Don't lose yourself in darkness. I'm different than that man. Can you trust me?"

Sasuke opened his mouth again but pursed it shut after a second thought. He turned his head to the side but Kakashi was not going to let him go. He planted a chaste kiss on Sasuke's cheek and said, "I'll earn your trust."

Kakashi sandwiched a nipple between his fore and middle finger, rubbing them together as he watch it perk up. To the other one, he coated it with saliva and blew playfully against the wet bud, goose bumps appearing on Sasuke's upper arms. Kakashi chuckled, journeying southwards after pinching at the dry nipple and found his amusement in Sasuke's awakening member. Choosing to ignore it for a while, he lifted Sasuke's lower body by a firm grip at the back of his waist. Sasuke's look of utter confusion and doubts was soon replaced by shock and pleasure when he felt Kakashi tonguing his entrance. When the oral muscle extended deeper into the canal, Sasuke could no longer suppress his moan. His head pushed back into his pillow as Kakashi's fingers joined in the kinky excursion. Since the skin was already healed, Kakashi had no reserve in plunging two of them in, opening up the diameter of the anus for what would come next. Sasuke knew; he started shaking in Kakashi's hold.

Whether it was from bliss or something else, Kakashi could not tell.

"Don't be frightened. Tell me to stop when it's too much."

Kakashi went back to Sasuke's eye level and stared down at his visage. Slowly, he edged the tip of his sufficiently hardened manhood to the opening, pushing slightly to tell Sasuke what he was going to do.

"Kakashi…" Sasuke called out softly, wrapping his arms around Kakashi's neck. That was correct; Kakashi was different than the Lord. He would waste himself before he could harm Sasuke.

"Here I go…"

Kakashi pushed in, paying extreme attention to Sasuke's breathing rate. The gasps he heard turned him on significantly that his penis continued growing even though he had already partially penetrated into Sasuke. Bit by bit he went deeper until he was fully within Sasuke's lean body. Though by then, Sasuke was sweaty all over and he still had traces of apprehension all over his body language; how his legs twitched, his fingers laced uncertainly in Kakashi's silver hair, his eyes narrowing in hesitation…

The anal muscles clenched and relaxed on the shaft experimentally while Kakashi made sure he remained still until Sasuke had gotten used to the intrusion.

"I can't –"

Kakashi shook his head. They had gone too far to quit in the middle. Not like this…

Gently Kakashi took hold of Sasuke's right hand. He led it to chest and let it rest flat on the spot directly above his heart.

"Can you feel it, Sasuke?" Kakashi enquired.

He would have to be dead if he could not feel the hard thumping of the vital organ against his palm. Kakashi said again, "My heart is racing for you. I'll be lying if I say I don't want this, but I don't want it to be one-sided."

Sasuke's fingers twitched on Kakashi's chest, his little finger accidentally brushed against Kakashi's nipple.

"Tit for tat huh?" the older man hissed, releasing the hand. "I'm happy, Sasuke."

Sasuke knew that it was a consensus act of love. As he moved on the futon to Kakashi's tempo, a spark of something pleasant kindled in his heart – and his prostate area. He was still wondering about in question whether he was condoning such act or whether he actually enjoyed the doings, but when he hit multi-orgasm, he would rather believe his body than his brain.

If Kakashi could change the way his body react to sex, then certainly he could do so to his mindset.

--

"This is it huh?"

Tsunade was appraising the see through crystal vial in her palm, the long silver chain dangling off her fingers. Sasuke stared at the floor as he heard Tsunade handing the data over to Shizune; he had seen the vial enough to last a lifetime. They had both arrived at Konoha at dawn since Kakashi thought it would be better for them to travel at their own pace – Sasuke's pace – considering they were already within the Fire Country's borders. Sasuke was happy enough with the decision. Even though Kakashi had been gentle, doing it was still mildly painful. Every now and then his teacher purposely stopped their walk for a breather. It irritated the younger ninja to a certain extent but the discomfort in his ass had somewhat made him appreciate his teacher's sensibility even more.

"How are you feeling then, Sasuke?"

He started at the call of his name, his eyes darted back to the Hokage's questioning gaze.

"He's… doing well," Kakashi interjected, placing a firm grip of Sasuke's shoulder.

"Indeed?" Tsunade said, retrieving for a blank piece of parchment and a pen. "By order of the Hokage, you are to go to Konoha Medical Facility and get a full body check-up. Reports are due to be sent in within a week… to me."

"But I –"

"Tsunade-sama, I understand how this order is out of concern, but if the patient is not willing I do not see the rationale to force –"

"Force? Kakashi, you are the one who's _not _being reasonable here. It is the standard procedure to make sure a shinobi who's returned from… _such _mission is physically unscathed."

"We did not participate in any serious battles, save for the one with those Iwa-nins by the lake. But even so it's already written in the report. We sustain no long-term damage from the encounter. Sasuke had already been healed in Kusa's hospital."

Tsunade gritted her teeth and was practically baring her fangs when she spoke in an ire hiss, "You know very well what I mean, Kakashi."

Sasuke felt his teacher's grip on his shoulder tensing. They were talking about how well he was coping with it were they not?

"I don't need a full medical check-up," Sasuke said, breaking the animosity which was beginning to thicken in the office. Kakashi then released his student while Tsunade flopped back into her seat.

"Are you sure?" she asked, rubbing her temple in circles.

"Yes."

They were silent for a moment, planning on what to do and say next. Tsunade was the first to react to Sasuke's reply; she replaced the parchment on the other corner of her desk and chucked the pen into its respective holder. Both Kakashi and Sasuke exhaled gratefully before making their way out of the room as fast as possible, in case the Hokage suddenly changed her mind.

Outside was glorious and they both sauntered down the pathway, passing in front of the public playground. They were again, alone, and it reminded Sasuke of the day Kakashi demanded a talk with him over by the swing.

"That was close… I thought she was going to drag you right into the check-up room."

"Or perform the check-up herself," Sasuke added, the edge of his lips twisting at the idea of Tsunade freaking out when she discovered the fact Kakashi and him were trying so desperately to hide.

"Yes, I can imagine her reaction," Kakashi said darkly, taking hold of Sasuke's forearm before twirling him deftly into his embrace. He slid his palm below Sasuke's shirt – much to Sasuke's chagrin – and pressed into the lower abdomen just above his waistband of his pants with four fingers.

"Oi –"

"Hmm? A part of me is still in here right?"

Sasuke blushed. The reason they both wanted to evade the check-up was because _Kakashi _was the last person who had sex with him, not the Lord. Who knows what Tsunade would have done when she found out about their little act?

Kakashi held Sasuke on either side of his arms, planting a brief kiss on his forehead. Sasuke closed his eyes, relishing the blessing from the other man.

"Will you be okay? Do you want to pitch a tent or something in my home?"

The younger ninja smiled and Kakashi returned the gesture. Things were getting better now.

"No, I'll be fine. We should both take a bath or something, we're starting to stink –"

"SASUKE!"

A pair of blonde haired teenage boy and pink tasseled young lady was running in their direction, arms high in the sky as they waved energetically. Sasuke's eyebrows twitched; he did not expect Naruto and Sakura to find out about his return so soon. Perhaps the gatekeepers informed his friends when they saw Kakashi's silver hair from afar. Sasuke lifted a hand before turning back to his teacher. "I guess they won't let me go until I've told him everything about the mission." Then his face darkened but his lips immediately curved in a tiny grin, "We have to tally our stories somehow right?"

"Yes," Kakashi said, tightness forming in his chest. "Yes…"

It would be for the best if Sasuke's torment was known only to the three of them; Tsunade being the other party. He allowed Sasuke to conjure any adrenaline-inducing, action-packed A-rank mission and he would be glad to memorise the plot to re-tell his two other students if they wanted to hear their teacher's side of the story.

Sasuke sent a curt node before walking away to his friends, Kakashi observing the limping manner in which Sasuke was moving in. Personally he wanted Sasuke to get all the rest and sleep he was deprived off but thought his quiet student was old enough to decide what was best for himself. Besides, Sasuke would have to learn how to deal with all the crap he was dealt with independently. If Naruto and Sakura were to be beside him, Kakashi could breathe easy.

"Okay, he's out of earshot," Kakashi exclaimed, tucking his arms across his chest. "What do you want to talk about?" and from the corner of his exposed eye, he caught sight of a dark silhouette leaping out of the trees before perching precariously on the swing's bar and landing gracefully behind Kakashi. The latter turned back to face the new presence. "Aoi, long time no see."

"Kakashi-san."

The silver haired man nodded in acknowledgement, walking composedly towards the ANBU as he started talking. "I'm here to inform you of the third round."

"Already? Sasuke has just returned from a mission."

"That, I do know, but Ichi-sama and his colleagues are leaving Konoha in a week. They cannot afford to lounge about in this village and they certainly cannot wait for Sasuke to feel up to it to end this bet."

"I'm not going to allow it. Sasuke is not going to take part in the third round."

"He has no choice. It's all written in black and white."

Kakashi's fists clenched, his thoughts racing as he tried to find a loophole or even a way to undo Sasuke's foolish pact with the businessmen.

"It's no use. The contract is valid, the bet is valid, Sasuke's participation is also valid. He _has _to report to us tomorrow."

"Cancel it," Kakashi said as Aoi shot him a disbelief look. "I'll cover up all loses your superiors make with Sasuke's forfeit."

Aoi chuckled. Kakashi however discerned a faint tinge of sadness in the gesture. Aoi spoke, "No sum of money can cover it. Sasuke is the main attraction of the bet, attracting pools of people each time a new round commenced. It was good news to strengthening their reputation in the business field, so what makes you think they will sacrifice it all for solely money?

Kakashi was silent, weighing Aoi's words and the circumstances. There was no way out of the mess.

"What is he going to do for the third round?"

"That unfortunately has not been ascertained. He _will _do what he has to do anyway, knowing it now won't do any good. Besides, I've seen the video," Aoi's voice dropped a tone at Kakashi's angered visage, "Sasuke doesn't seem to despise the things you and the others were doing to him. It isn't going to cause him any damage."

"He doesn't show his thoughts facially, for your information."

"You cannot stop this bet, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi was distraught. One calamity after another, how was Sasuke ever going to heal? There was no chance for him to do so!

"Has… anything happened to Sasuke during his mission?"

Kakashi looked up, his brows furrowing at the question. "Why do you ask?"

"He… isn't walking properly. Is he hurt?"

If Aoi had watched them all along, had he heard the conversation between them? But he should not have or he would not ask such thing. The reason was as clear as crystal.

"I have no obligation to answer you."

"Then will you at least tell me what you did –" he shifted uncomfortably under Kakashi's piercing stare, "– or where you went?"

"Kusa."

Aoi blinked in the sunset ray. In a split second his irises narrowed furiously and he bent his knees, ready to propel himself to Sasuke's general location.

"Stop," Aoi heard before a strong arm came to grip him tightly on the wrist.

"Let me go, Kakashi-san."

"No. That's enough, Aoi. Sasuke is going to recuperate his own way at his own rate. He's physically fine; you've seen him."

It was no astonishing fact that Aoi was familiar with Kusa Lord's notoriety. As ANBU, they have access to data of almost every smaller village's Lord; they were filed and compiled for future references. Even if Aoi had not been updated with the current status of the Lords, Kusa's was not going to change his spots so soon.

"I'll inform Sasuke of the third round tonight. Does that put your mind to rest?"

They backed off from each other, Aoi regaining his composure as he prepared to leave in the opposite direction, no doubt towards the bar. "It does, Kakashi-san." Before he took off, Kakashi heard him say, "Take care of Sasuke."


	15. With Him

Sasuke burped, thanking for his meal; good thing Naruto and Sakura put their wallet and purse together for the dinner. Sasuke had suddenly turned into a miser, carefully saving his money as if his life depended on it. Normal teenagers splurge, Sasuke did not. No teenage shinobi did. Everyone who wielded kunai and summoning scrolls on battlefields knew better than to live luxuriously; one moment they were sitting under the fan in a pretty hall and the next thing they know, they snuffed it in a mission. Such was the temporality of a ninja's life.

Sasuke however had already seen the last day of his life; it would be beside Itachi's corpse.

The raven haired teen ruffled his head as he lay sprawled on his bed. The money he had won from the bet was safely secured in the bank's vault. At the moment, if his calculation was right, those gold coins must have amounted to exactly 30 500. That was equivalent to about half a dozen of S-rank missions' pay. Though if compared to Kakashi's savings, Sasuke's winning was nothing. But of course – how many times had Kakashi pawned his life for the village?

He had it all laid out on a piece of paper – his blueprint for the future. Sasuke was going to work as the Leaf's ninja until he had earned enough trust from the Hokage to leave the village as a traveling ninja; he resented the brand of rogue nin, a betrayer to his village. He planned to see Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi before he took off for Akatsuki's lair. That would probably be the end of it, full stop; the end of the last remaining member of the once proud Uchiha clan, Uchiha Sasuke.

The money would last him some years before he _finally _managed to track Itachi down. That cold blooded murderer was constantly on the move and Sasuke did not expect to see his brother the instance he left Konoha. But he knew, every time he handed a piece of the gold coin over he would be thinking of all the sufferings he had been put through as payment. How he sold his pride and body for gold.

Sasuke rolled over and lay on his stomach. It was slightly suffocating, exactly the way he wanted. What a warped way to remind him that he was still drawing breath, still living, still having an ambition to make real. He had not forgotten the last round. When he entered Konoha, he wanted to grab Kakashi and tell him how he felt about the daunting bet. The older man would probably rap him hard on the head and lecture him about crying over spilt milk… no that was unlike Kakashi.

Whatever is was, someone should come over in a day or two to drag him (should Sasuke feel like not going) to the bar. He thought of begging Tsunade to assign him a couple of confidential missions back to back so he could leave Konoha again. But Kakashi would never allow that would he?

Sasuke could not believe how corroded his mental strength had been since the mission at Kusa. He _hated _the bet. Itachi was not worth it after all.

Tap! Tap!

Sasuke jerked up, his head snapped towards his window to see a shadow roosting on the balcony's railing. The teen got up to open the window but the sight of Aoi with his ANBU mask on froze Sasuke in his track. The ANBU seemed to be blinking behind his masquerade before he shook his head. Sasuke turned away and made for the door instead but a brief "poof" in his room stopped his from moving again.

Aoi called out, "Sasuke! No, stop, it's only a couple of minutes!"

Sasuke's fingers twitched so much that he had to ball them up in a tight fist. He turned himself at an angle to watch Aoi opening the window and leaning against the see through glass pane. The man stayed there, his arms folded as he returned the glare from across the room.

"Are you happy with where I am? I'll leave as soon as I've conveyed Ichi-sama's message and if you feel threatened or anything, scream."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, fuming in humiliation.

"Sorry," he heard a whispered apology from the window. "I should be more understanding."

"What are you here for?"

"You."

Sasuke's eyes widened and Aoi could almost slap himself for his idiocy. Quickly he inched outwards until he was standing outside of the room and added, "I mean, Ichi-sama calls for you. At the bar."

"Now?" Sasuke breathed, eyeing Aoi suspiciously.

"Yes. Look, you can have my weapon pouch and scrolls and if I ever do anything weird to you, you can use them on me –"

"_Are _you going to do anything weird to me?" Sasuke asked simply, his face bland.

Aoi's mouth hung open. He was going to say no but he found his voice dead within the vocal cord. He guessed deep down he was as perverted as Kusa's Lord after all. The silence prolonged and Aoi hated the thought of letting Sasuke running away with the wrong idea. What if Sasuke correctly deciphered his silence for some perverted fantasy Aoi used to have long, _long_ ago?

"Fine. Let's go," Sasuke said, brushing past a horrorstruck Aoi and leaping agilely to the darkened streets below.

Kakashi was right; Sasuke seemed to be doing quite fine by himself.

--

"Sasuke-kun! How happy we are to have you here tonight!"

A waiter ushered in a chair and gestured Sasuke to take a seat. Five men looked down on him like an eagle gazing upon a helpless finch; Sasuke shifted uncomfortably somewhat but tried very hard to maintain a stony outward appearance. Judging by the way Yon and San exchanging perplexed looks, he thought he was acting pretty well.

"Why do you need me here tonight? Can't it wait until tomorrow?"

"No," Ichi said, ordering something from the waiter. The teen heard something vague like non-alcoholic; that order was probably for him. He would've told Ichi not to bother with it since he was _not _going to pay for a drink in the frisky bar but Ni interjected dolefully.

"As much as we love Konoha, the five of us will be leaving the village for another place this week. We'll have to settle this bet within these few days since we have other loose ends to tie as well. In fact, we could've left you hanging in the bet since it's not quite convenient for us to hang about in Konoha any longer than yesterday but we thought we'd extend our stay for another week. We've invested quite a lot in this bet, you know. You cannot imagine the number of people who've put their money on you!"

"The third round is about to start?" Sasuke croaked.

"Yes, isn't it obvious, boy?"

The men downed their drinks; the dim light of the bar stung his eyes, some series of unintelligent moans erupting from a corner of the venue…

"I don't want it."

San actually choked on his beer as the other replaced their mugs on the table. Ichi looked at Sasuke as if he had not seen the teen in 5 years and even tilted his head to see Sasuke from a different angle. The teen let him and he repeated his words once more, loud and clear, "I quit. I don't want to do this anymore."

They continued to ogle at him. They only broke the silence when Ichi mumbled, "Are you serious?" to which Ni reiterated as, "Are you _stupid?_"

He knew backing off from the bet would not be easy. At least he had tried.

"Why won't you continue? You've been milked dry in Round 2?"

A string of muffled laughter ricocheted around them indicating eavesdroppers from all crooks. Sasuke could feel heat rising from his forehead but he reminded himself to keep his temper under control.

"I hate what I'm doing for your money. I've had enough."

"Sure you have but we haven't. You are not backing down. If you do, you'll have to pay us double."

Sharingan flickered in his eyes momentarily. The businessmen shrunk a bit much to Sasuke's solemn delight. "Like hell I will."

"You _will _cover the lose _we _suffer if you decided to retreat. It's your choice, Sasuke-kun."

"What are you worried of anyway? Have we ever harmed you or forced you into something you don't want to?" Yon quipped.

"Yeah, this is the last round. Win it and get your money. That'll be the end of it. You've come this far after all."

Sasuke weighed their words, rerun them over and over again, convinced gradually by the logic in their reasoning. It was going to be the last one. He had already given so much for Round 1 and 2, why not give a little bit more for Round 3?

"This time, we'll offer you 150 000 gold pieces. That's a lot of money."

Sasuke did not need telling.

"So why throw this golden opportunity away? You'll earn yourself some big money in the _last _round."

"Come, come, have a drink," Ichi said offhandedly as the waiter brought a tray of fruit punches to their table. Apparently everyone was having the same beverage. "Sober up, we've got another business dealing after this." And grudgingly, each person took a glass and waited. Sasuke merely sipped his half-heartedly while the four men looked at their leader. No doubt, Sasuke thought, they were curious to know what the next task was going to be. He himself was as anxious either.

"Ichi, are you sure about this?"

Sasuke's mistake; the men already _knew _of the next task.

"Of course or I won't be calling the boy here will I?"

"He's _underage._"

Ichi let out a hearty laughter. Sasuke's worry intensified.

"That's not a problem. Our target is, I believe, an honourable man."

Sasuke's hand trembled at the word "target". Someone else was going to be involved in the third task. Someone was going to touch him in those places again. He put the glass down and clenched his fist on his knees.

"Trustworthy as he can be, I doubt he'll make Sasuke's job easier. That'll balance the odds out. Anymore objections?"

Their discussion died as Ichi smiled superiorly. No matter what disgusting thing he had to do, it seemed that Ichi was the _only _person who agreed to the job. Sasuke shuddered at the thought of it. Ichi was the most outgoing and "friendly" person around the table but he could be damn manipulative at times that Sasuke had troubles interpreting his every word and intention. Though there was one thing Ichi had made clear ever since he penned his signature on the contract; he was going to be used, exploited – everything he had on his body belonged to Ichi and company.

"Are you scared?" Ichi said suddenly, an eyebrow hidden below his bangs. Sasuke however glared at the man.

"I take it as you're fine. So, this time you're going to take a step higher. I remind you though, there's no turning back. You cannot change the task appointed on your whim."

And that could be translated as Sasuke was dead meat.

"Ah… I wonder how you'd react," Ichi drawled, resting his chin upon his knuckles, a cunning grin forming on his sausage lips, "when I tell you you'd have to _have sex _with a person _we _select from the many able Konoha men."

"What the –"

Have… _what_ with a Konoha villager? There was no sugar coating, no hesitation in the declaration of Sasuke's fate. Within these 24 hours, his nightmare would revisit again. As he spread himself helpless before a rapacious beast, entangled between sheets of fouled covers folded with semen and blood, Sasuke would remember. He would remember the ache and the noises, the cries. He would then be forever cursed and this time, it would be for real – no more rewinding time. No more Kakashi to tell him it was going to be all right; they would be nothing but words for Sasuke would be too tainted after tomorrow.

As Ichi said, there was no turning back.

"Who's the man?" Sasuke asked in a dead whisper. He might as well prepare himself to accommodate a stranger in his fragile embrace. He might as well be dead.

--

The steps he took were evanescence; subconsciously he had managed to weave through the dusty roads of Konoha in the middle of the night and still have a very rough idea of where he was heading. He knew he was walking in the right direction but to where he was not so sure. Sasuke trudged on; his eyes hollow in their sockets, his mind completely void.

It was until he reached the compound of somewhere which again, looked vaguely familiar that he paused for a while to think. He wanted to come here all along hadn't he?

"Yo, good morning, Sasuke."

He spun around with his head tilting upwards to search for the speaker. Weird enough, he found hoary tassel unique to Kakashi lurking amongst the leaves; the man even had Icha-Icha Paradise held loosely in his grasp. There were lanterns hanging all over the trees in the area.

"Never read in the dark they say. It's bad for your eyes. True enough, I think my left eye sight is deteriorating…" Kakashi began before leaping onto firm ground to meet his student. "What are you doing here? It's a couple of hours past midnight."

Sasuke said nothing and kept his eyes locked on the same spot he had been staring ever since he heard Kakashi's greeting. The older man followed Sasuke's stare, finding himself looking futilely into thin air.

"Sasuke?"

He gave Sasuke a once over, finishing with a rather stern frown at the teen. Sasuke had yet to make eye contact. So gently, he took Sasuke's hands in his, noticing how icy they had become due to the owner's foolish decision to take a midnight stroll on such a cold day. Without breaking the silence he knew Sasuke wanted, he pulled the teen into his warm arms and said, "Spend the night with me." He felt Sasuke quivering in his hold but his hunches harried that it was not due to the artic breeze. "You can have the bed. I'll take the spare futon."

The trembling stopped but the unusual quietness continued. It was getting a little freakish and Kakashi decided to take matters into his own hand. He was going to decide for the teen if he could not make up his mind.

"Let's go. It's freezing here."

Sasuke was actually very glad that his legs brought him here. He was further happier when Kakashi offered to take him in. A company suddenly seemed so much better to have tonight.

--

"Are you going to tell me what's happened?"

Kakashi sat on his spread out futon on the floor, leaning against the bed as he stuffed Sasuke's pillows into new cases. Kakashi had brought out a set of new pajamas for the younger man to change into; they were new since he hardly wore pajamas to sleep, preferring to be clad in his usual black-sleeved shinobi uniform or shirtless at all. The cuffs hung freely beyond his arms since Kakashi's clothing was too large but that was the least bothersome.

"We're going through this together, remember?"

Kakashi handed the plush pillow over, his gray eyes settling on the troubled teen. Sasuke accepted the pillow and opened his mouth. His teacher's back straightened, ready to listen to whatever his student had got to say but when Sasuke close it, Kakashi sighed. Ruffling his hair, he said, "You can tell me when you feel like it. Until then, go to sleep."

Reaching for the blanket, he pulled the cloth over Sasuke's body but stopped when a cold hand caught his wrist. Kakashi's eyes darted over to his student, concerned.

This time, Sasuke's voice came through.

"I went to the bar just now. The businessmen called me over."

"Is it about the third task?" Kakashi said quickly.

Sasuke nodded weakly. He resumed his talking, "I don't have much time. I've got 22 hours to go." He then raised his head and looked deep into Kakashi, his focus wavering as if it took loads of effort to even maintain the contact. Kakashi's eyes however were ever so kind.

"I don't want to do it."

"Then, don't."

Warm lips brushed against Sasuke's. Ichi's words replayed in his mind and the prospect of repeating the cycle of pain and torment tore another chunk of him inside. How could he break the news?

"I don't have the money to repay them. It was stated on the contract, if I break my pact, I have to cover all the lose they suffer."

They distanced themselves somewhat from each other, allowing the disheartening fact to sink and take effect. Sasuke foresaw Kakashi offering to pay for it and he shook his head, silencing the man with another cheerless kiss. Ichi's voice reverberated in his ears – the name of the man he was going to sleep with rang clearly in his memory. How was he going to tell Kakashi? It was unfair.

"Leave the futon, Kakashi. There are spaces for two on your bed."

Sasuke held the blanket tighter to his form as the older man clambered beside him. As outrageous as it sounded, he made a bet with himself; if Kakashi wanted to take him tonight, it would probably be for the best. He would force himself not to bother with the fact that he was not ready for another bout of sex. But Kakashi merely patted him on his head in exchange for the typical "good night!" and slipped silently into the blanket.

Sasuke was not going to fight. Why would Kakashi make life difficult for him?

--

It was almost dawn; the morning birds told Sasuke so. He only heard their chirping because he had been awake for hours. Sleep evaded him as he lay on his side by Kakashi who had his body turned to the other direction. Sasuke was brave enough to let his mind wander because he knew Kakashi would not be able to see his face he was guessing was going to be _very _pale each time he recalled the conversation he had in the bar with Ichi and company.

"_Your partner has been decided."_

"_Who's the man?"_

"_He's probably the straightest person in the village so there's always a possibility of him rejecting your advances. That'll make the challenge valid or we might as well give you the gold and be done with it! The most important plus point he has is he won't be blabbing whatever you do with him to the Hokage or anyone else, or so we presume."_

"_Can you guess who the person is?"_

The name which fell out of their mouths made Sasuke almost topple off his seat. It was not a matter of seducing – heck he would not need to do that at all – it was a matter whether Sasuke wanted to do it or not. He stood firmly by his personal will; he did not want to service anymore men.

"_How will you know I've… done it with him?"_

"_Oho, that you don't have to worry. Aoi here will stand witness."_

Sasuke hated everything about Round 3. He felt Aoi shuffling awkwardly behind his masters, nervous, repulsed… or probably shaking with vulgar excitement.

"Do you not trust me, Sasuke? Can't I share your burden?"

Sasuke stiffened under the sheets, sensing Kakashi rolling over to face his back instead. He felt his teacher's penetrating gaze burning a hole through his head but he kept still, hoping that Kakashi would drop the question and dismiss the assumption that he was awake. Though who he was to fool an ex-ANBU and one of the most skilled Jonin of Konoha?

"What's wrong, Sasuke?"

He guessed there was no running away. His body relaxed somewhat as he tried to talk, his head still averted to the other side of the bed. Kakashi would listen; the man had wanted to do so since he ran into his teacher at his residence.

"How is it that within one month, my life has been nothing but sex?" he barely managed to get out. Kakashi remained quiet, contemplating and Sasuke proceeded, "I was hoping to start anew after the mission, to return to my everyday life as if nothing had happened. That is no longer possible now is it?"

"I said I'll walk this path with you. Nothing is impossible."

"I'm not given the hope, Kakashi!"

Then, Sasuke flung the covers aside and rose from the bed, making a beeline towards the door. He stopped when Kakashi held him by the shoulders, firm but caring and Sasuke's head drooped, his black fringes curtaining his face.

"The third round… I'm supposed to… _that_… with a man."

He yearned for the warmth of Kakashi's large hands as the older man pried himself from the teen. All he heard seconds later was a short, cold, "Who?"

The teen twisted the knob and walked out, leaving his teacher stunned within the confinement of his bedroom. He wanted to say, "That's my business" but he knew after what intimate moments he had shared with Kakashi, it was also impossible for him to push his teacher away. He _wanted _that care.

--

Sasuke strolled passively down the busy streets where the morning market operated. The bustling troubled him more and he leapt onto the roof to sit by a large water tank, alone, far from mankind. He had roughly 16 hours more and sooner or later, he would have to go back to his target. Sasuke gave up; he was going to be honest with himself. The only motivation for him to surrender himself was the gold. And staying true to his honest policy, Sasuke was not going to lie to himself. He really was whoring his body for money.

"Oh, fancy seeing you here, Sasuke."

Out of reflex, the teen dug into his weapon pouch and equipped both hands with kunai. The sharp edge glimmered in the morning sun but the new presence was not unpleasant, just distant and wintry. Sasuke felt no evil intention (don't all men do?) and lowered his tool.

"I'll sit here and we'll talk from this distance, okay?"

Aoi folded his legs and flopped on the cement floor, raising a brow as if asking if his doing was agreeable. After receiving a nod from the teen, he spoke, his voice deep and dangerous, "You ought to be careful in this round, Sasuke. I can't watch your back forever."

"I don't remember asking you to," Sasuke snarled.

"Stop being a haughty little brat. You don't know what serious trouble you're in."

Aoi almost stood up to slap some sense into the teen but Sasuke raised his kunai, reminding Aoi to stay calm and most importantly stay at least 6 meters away from him. The ANBU narrowed his eye but did not comment on the extreme guardedness. Instead, he said, "Watch out for the Five. This third round isn't going to be so simple. They're businessmen, Sasuke. They don't care for your welfare and safety. They're here for the profit, nothing more."

"What are you getting at?" Sasuke asked, the kunai looking dangerously lethal in his white fists.

"I'm saying they may just escape with the money and leave not a speck of gold dust for you. Even if they do that, they were being generous already."

"They can't do that," Sasuke whispered, his hands shaking a little. "It's against the law –"

"Your naivety disgusts me."

Sasuke had no chance to react as Aoi poofed away with a handseal. As he stared into the spot where the ANBU initially was, Sasuke could not help telling himself somehow, the sacrifices were not worth it, no matter how much he had given in the past.


	16. You Will Win

Aoi gave up. He had not a clue how to talk _reasons _with Sasuke especially when time was limiting and the teen was wired with his screwed up philosophy that people are bound by their words. The teen was too foolish to realise that words are mere vibrations of air particles that made way into his eardrums. The Five unfortunately was no where near as imprudent as Sasuke. Aoi _knew _they had planned something but what, that was beyond his comprehension. The Five were careful enough to hide the truth from him. Clever; Aoi was going to spill the beans when he got first sound of their plans.

So the only option left was to go to Kakashi. The Jonin might probably kick the stuffing out of him before he was able to explain but that could take a second seating. Sasuke would come first; the teen did not know what he had gotten himself into. Aoi was going to save him from the abyss.

Aoi charged forward relentlessly towards the training center, guessing that the silver haired Jonin would be there throwing punches at the straw mannequins. As he leapt, he arranged words in his mind. He could have said, "Sasuke's going to have sex tonight for the third round" and let Kakashi razed the bar to the ground. Then he could help exterminate the Five along the way but that was definitely not an idea.

He could not see to their deaths.

Even from afar, he could already detect those destructive booms and bangs from the training ground. The area was going to be in wreckage if the culprit continued wreaking havoc and judging by the occasional crackling of electricity in between explosions, Kakashi was not in his best mood.

The ANBU slowly crept closer to the source of the din, watching Kakashi reducing boulders after boulders into dust with little to no difficulties; his face as impassive as always. He stopped moving momentarily; possibly to allow Aoi to come forward and announce his presence but just when the ANBU decided to do so, the silver haired Jonin vanished.

"Crap, not goo –"

A sharp pain erupted in his side as he hurled towards a tree trunk. When he was about to collide with wood, he was pulled downwards where his body slammed full forced onto the ground. His world turned black; his lungs missing the air he needed direly and then, amidst the confusion something heavy was resting on top of him. Aoi choked and he swore he could have died in Kakashi's hand there and then when the man suddenly pressed his neck with his forearm.

"What had Sasuke done to you? Why do you keep pushing him to a corner?" Kakashi whispered dangerously; his features emotionless, his eyes blazing with rage.

"Ghh – Kakashi –"

Even though his limbs felt as heavy as lead, he used what remaining vigour he had to lift his fractured arm and rest it against Kakashi's upper arm. Weakly, he traced several vague hiragana as best he could as he felt his consciousness ebbing, hoping Kakashi would notice what he wanted to convey.

_Sa – su – ke._

If his effort was in vain… at least he had tried.

His arm slid downwards, his energy leaving. Kakashi suddenly realised he had gone too far when he felt the man beneath him going lax and quickly released his crushing hold on Aoi's windpipe. Aoi, still very winded from his little battle thought that was it when his body suddenly felt so light. But he found his breathing eased tremendously and he cracked his eyes open only to find Kakashi attending to his left arm.

"Don't speak. Breathe."

And that was he Aoi did. He discerned minute traces of remorse as the older man worked on his arm, bandaging the fractured segment of the humerus. Kakashi could fuss about his minor injuries _after _he inform him of Sasuke's challenge and opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out save for rusted gasps and grunts. Kakashi glanced at him, tying a knot around the arm.

"I'll get you to the hospital."

He could not afford to lose more time! He scratched at Kakashi's Jonin vest frantically, trying to catch his attention and probably stop him from teleporting to Konoha's Medical Facilities. He was not going to see Kakashi for the rest of the day once the medic-nin came to get him so it was now or never. He seized Kakashi's collar roughly, forcing the Jonin to look at him as he cracked something but instead, he caught himself coughing endlessly.

"You have to see the healers now or you won't be able to speak ever," Kakashi said, somewhat concerned as he looped Aoi's arm over his shoulder to support the other man's weight. Again Aoi tugged at Kakashi's shirt.

"Whatever you want to say can wait until I sort things out. Sasuke's third challenge is starting and I –"

At the sound of the third round, Aoi pushed himself off Kakashi and half limped towards the tree where he was flung into. He concentrated chakra onto his index finger and started carving words on the bark. If even then Kakashi could not understand, he believed he would go mad out of pure frustration.

_Five place bets on Sasuke losing. Get him out of Konoha._

"No…" Kakashi rasped. "No, then Sasuke –"

Aoi closed his fist on Kakashi's shoulder, rough voices trying to form coherent sentences.

"He won't listen – no time – dangerous –" and Aoi sank to his knees, his body racked with a long series of dry cough. Kakashi held onto the ANBU and formed seals, ready to transport the injured ninja to the hospital. He had not held back when he struck Aoi. They had exchanged – in real fact, Kakashi was the only one who landed the blows – only a couple of hits but he was aware that the first kick he "awarded" Aoi was enough to break a rib and bruise several internal organs.

Even if Aoi was on the brink of death by his hand, Aoi could do nothing to gain enough of his trust. If only Sasuke had listened to him – if only Sasuke had distanced himself from the unknown ANBU… and Kakashi laughed inwardly, ridiculing his warped reasoning and logic. Aoi had done nothing wrong. He had not harm Sasuke. Everything Aoi had done was what Kakashi had failed to perform, like how he was not there to protect Sasuke, how he allowed Sasuke to please another man under his nose, how he had inadvertently hurt Sasuke.

"Come on, we're going to the hospital."

"But Sasuke –"

And the two forms dissipated into thin air, leaving a puff of whitish smoke in their wake.

--

Once again Sasuke found himself wallowing in conflicts as he sat around his dining table. After he had stalked off from his teacher's abode, he went straight back home and plopped on his wooden chair, never moving until now. Clueless as he was, he had managed to work many things out as he pondered on his next _right _move. He had done enough wrongs as it is to last him one lifetime; he need not make another blunder especially when Kakashi was included in his calculations.

There were a number of hurdles to overcome first before his supposedly correct decision took effect. Number one, he had to break the news to his Jonin teacher. But he could very well skip this part and leave Kakashi in the dark, wondering who he was going to give his body to. Kakashi was not going to get hurt if he did not know what Sasuke did not tell. So happily, Sasuke ticked the first option off and went to number two which was to sit around and do nothing.

The Five did say some weeks back that if Sasuke lost the challenge, he was not going to be paid or _pay_ a single cent. Good, because Sasuke was banking on that rule. If he did nothing, he won nothing. Ultimately, nothing was going to happen to him. He would not be defiled all over in and out; he could save Kakashi from all the mess he brought unto himself and the Five could reap whatever profit they got from the bet. But the Five had always bet on his win. Sasuke sighed, not daring to evaluate their potential lose – no, _definite _lose considering how he was going to stay put in his seat, barricaded in his home until the next sunrise.

This was by far the safest moment Sasuke had ever felt. Great relief flooded him like a deluge, drowning his nagging guilt and moroseness. Images of Kakashi walking around his hall like a deadened skeleton intervened erratically when his brain cells seemed to hibernate and Sasuke forced his mind to come alive.

That would mean forcing Kakashi to the back of his skull.

Honestly, he could not have sunken any lower. Kakashi's gentle and firm voice, _"Use me" _was still reverberating in his ears, pulling him back to the day he first had a consensus sexual intercourse with another _man _nonetheless. He did not say anything to Kakashi that night as he was wrapped in utmost pleasure that his teacher was dishing out in hard, passionate rhythm – he wanted to say he had never intended to use Kakashi.

He had willingly given his body to the man had he not?

Today, his mindset had not changed. He was never going to use Kakashi. Therefore, it was of grievous importance for him to stay as far away as possible from the Jonin even if it offended his teacher. He had walked away on Kakashi one too many times. And each time, Kakashi recovered. This was not going to be any different. Once tomorrow comes, Sasuke was going to see his team leader and his team mates again, signing up for new assignments and finally, returning to his tedious, routine life.

Sasuke had to be patient. He was only going to wait. How hard could it be?

--

Kakashi left Aoi in Sakura's care and sped along the dusty road leading to Sasuke's home. Back at the hospital, Sakura was inevitably dumbstruck when she saw her teacher supporting Aoi but upon receiving instructions from Kakashi, she switched into her medic-nin mode and wheeled the injured ninja away to the emergency ward; Aoi was looking paler than ghost. She wanted to question Kakashi what he had done to the ANBU but figured she would rather not; somehow somewhere Sasuke was going to come into the bigger picture and she knew she would be _pissed _when Sasuke's name flew out of Aoi's mouth. She was afraid she would deal more injuries to the man instead of healing them.

Kakashi however was the least worried of Aoi's luck (he just had to have Sakura as his attendant). He doubted Sasuke knew of the sudden twist in the bet. Aoi was dead serious when he told Kakashi to get the teen out of the village. Currently it was almost impossible for him to walk out of the gates without the Hokage's permission since he was on standby. If he was on standby, so was Team 7. Simply put, there was no way the both of them could step out of Konoha.

What had happened to Sasuke by now? What would the Five do to him?

Kakashi swore silently, his surrounding blurring into shadows as he made his way speedily towards Sasuke's place. Aoi said the Five had placed their bet on Sasuke's lose. That was already a major discrepancy in their betting pattern. Why the uncalled change? Kakashi deduced that Sasuke's "outstanding" performance in his previous two challenges encouraged the villagers to put more faith into the teen and thus betting on his success instead, no matter how off-putting the odds could be. And to win that lump sum of money, the Five would have to bet on the opposite outcome. How could they make Sasuke lose?

A sabotage, Kakashi answered.

He saw the window to Sasuke's bedroom. Quickly, he latched himself on the railings and picked the lock. It seemed as if he was forcing entry into the teen's home but he could tolerate Sasuke's bout of anger later. The house was dark and Kakashi was worried that the teen was off wandering in the streets. Sunset was settling.

"Sasuke?" Kakashi exclaimed, his voice bouncing off the walls. He heard a clank of something hard on wood and glass shattering on ceramic tiles from the kitchen. Within seconds he found himself facing an open-mouthed Sasuke, frozen in his track.

"What are you doing here?" Sasuke blurted, his irises dilating from the shock.

"I'm trying to keep you safe," Kakashi replied, taking a step forward when his student retreated towards the counter.

"Stay where you are!" and Kakashi stopped. The teen was positively shaking, his hand gripping the edge of the sink very tightly. "I don't _need _to be kept safe! I'm very safe in here until you come in! Why do you have to show up?"

"Wait, listen to me! You don't understand, people are going to try to kill you!"

That, if at all possible, brought another course of shockwave over the teen. He heard his teacher correctly and he heard "kill". No, it was not in the plan! Being killed was not what he had in mind. Where did the idea come from?

"You're lying," he stated curtly, disbelief filling his expression.

"I'm not, and you have to listen carefully. Aoi told me –"

A kunai whizzed past Kakashi's left ear and he stopped talking, carefully averting his eyes towards Sasuke.

"Get out."

"I haven't –"

"It doesn't matter what Aoi had told you. It's not going to happen. _I _don't want it to happen! Haven't I told you how much I detest every second of it?"

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked exasperatedly. Things had taken a 180 degree turn; what was Sasuke so worked up for?

"Can't we just go according to my plan?" the teen said slowly, the colour fading from his face.

"A plan?" the Jonin repeated, surprised at Sasuke's state of mind. He thought the teen would be too distraught to formulate anything smart. "You have a plan?"

"I am going to stay here, locked up in my house until the time limit expires. I don't have to do anything and I don't have to pay for losing. It's a win-win situation, unless the Five are betting on my win that is."

Kakashi frowned. "For your information, they are betting on you _losing _the challenge."

Time froze. Sasuke blinked, the subtlest hint of relief overtaking his grieving visage. "They are? Then it'll work won't it? I don't want to win this anyway!"

"No, Sasuke. It does not work that way."

His smile faltered and he was back to his uptight self. Kakashi continued, "The Five don't know that you're going to lose on purpose. I'm sure they've arranged something to make sure you don't win this round. They could have sent assassins right through the window at this very moment to take you out. Do you understand the situation now? Do you know why I must stay with you till dawn?"

All hope diminished from his world. All Sasuke could see was black. Did they really have to resort to killing?

"I'll accompany you, make sure you're all right. So don't worry," Kakashi finally said lightly, a warm smile on his mask-covered face.

But Kakashi staying would nullify everything.

"No."

Kakashi turned around, looking at his student questioningly. "Pardon me?"

"I said, no. You have to leave."

"And leave you to die? I don't think so."

"Who said I'm going to die? I can fight," Sasuke said through gritted teeth. He was not in top form but he was far from weak.

"I'm going to stay whether you like it or not. I could have chained you up in the Hokage's office but it would be troublesome for her to deal with the hired goons so," Kakashi pried the kunai which Sasuke had thrown earlier out of the wall, "_I'll _handle that task myself."

"No, _you _don't get it."

"I think I understand this much better than you do. I don't let my friends die in vain."

"That's not it!"

Out of temper, Sasuke suddenly pumped chakra into his sole and zipped out of Kakashi's sight only to rematerialise right before his teacher. "Why won't you _understand_?"

With a swift and powerful push, he threw his body weight against the taller man, causing them to land hard in the hall with Sasuke topping Kakashi. The younger man snatched the kunai from his teacher's grasp and held it in front of the Jonin's face, its treacherous edge gleaming in the dimness.

"Don't you realise how difficult you're making it for me?" Sasuke muttered.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? You don't know a _thing_!" the teen spat. "Why must it be you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why must it be you?" Sasuke belted, anger gushing through each word as he thrust the kunai deep into the floor, missing Kakashi's temple by mere millimeters. The Jonin watched his student, his eyes unblinking even when he saw the weapon coming down on him fast.

He trusted Sasuke.

"What don't I know?"

"It's you and your porn book and your constant trip to the brothels! Do you know what people make out of those habits of yours?"

"Trips to the brothels…"

Nobody was supposed to know. He was not there for the service like what Sasuke was thinking. He was there for information. The brothels in Konoha had connections with other likewise centers throughout shinobi nations and men were most vulnerable in the arms of a woman. Kakashi had planted spies in several areas and he dropped by occasionally to check for updates.

Nobody was supposed to know.

"I'm not there for the women, Sasuke," Kakashi said coolly.

"Does that matter now?" the teen replied weakly. "You're the straightest man in Konoha for all they care."

"Isn't that a good thing? I thought people assumed I was sexually dead."

"How can that be a good thing? Don't you get it? I'm supposed to have sex with _you _tonight."

A sigh escaped Sasuke's lips and he closed his eyes, his stance relaxed considerably that Kakashi made to hold him by the upper arms; Sasuke looked like he was going to pass out on him any moment. But the teen sat still on Kakashi, defeated.

"I'm tired, Kakashi. I'm done with running away from this game. It's eating me from inside."

"I know you're not happy but –"

"I'm not meant to be happy. I'm an avenger. But not like this… the pain shouldn't come like this."

"Sasuke, look at me – now, open your eyes – look, I figured if things are not going to work out the way we both wanted, why don't we do whatever we want and let hell come loose when time's up?"

When Sasuke remained mute, Kakashi rose up and captured his student's lips in a long, passionate kiss. He ran his hand lightly against the sides, his thumb rubbing against a hard nub on Sasuke's chest. Skillfully, as he dipped deeper into the younger male's mouth, he raised the obstructing shirt to reveal Sasuke's lean form. Goose bumps were already forming when the cold air bit into his skin.

"There shall be no regrets," Kakashi said softly, licking a nipple with the tip of his tongue.

"It's unfair to you, Kakashi."

"I will not curse my actions. I'll only condemn myself if I found out I was forcing myself onto you."

Kakashi closed his mouth around the areole and started sucking, causing more goose bumps to appear on Sasuke's arms. The younger male looked down, noticing how truthful Kakashi was with what he just said. If that was the case, then he would agree with Kakashi; screw the plans, he would wait for hell to break loose when tomorrow comes.

"Initially I thought I was never going to lay a hand on my student," Kakashi started, casting a lone eye towards Sasuke's crotch, "but looking at what we've gone through today, sometimes things happen unexpectedly."

Sasuke blushed when Kakashi glued his eye at the tent in his shorts. Hurriedly, he swept a hand to cover his erection but Kakashi caught him by the wrist. "Don't block the view."

Sasuke could only blush harder.

And suddenly, the teen was pulled into a tight embrace. He could feel Kakashi's hardness poking his thigh but chose to ignore it when his teacher said, "I'm afraid we're going down that path again. Will you allow me?"

How was he supposed to answer such a blatant question? Hesitantly, Sasuke pressed his body closer into Kakashi's, allowing their manhood to graze through layers of fabric. Kakashi seemed to understand and got to his feet, pulling Sasuke towards his bedroom without another word.

"We'll have it rougher than that day."

"Wha –"

Kakashi's kiss was voracious; teeth met with teeth and Sasuke could not help but sink lower into his mattress as his teacher applied more pressure. Unknowingly, Kakashi had started unbuckling Sasuke's pants and was tossing the article aside by the time Sasuke caught up with the proceedings. His member stood erect and Kakashi wasted no time rubbing at its head, squeezing precum from its slit. Sasuke's moans were effectively silenced with another round of violent tongue wrestling and it took only another minute or two for Sasuke to unload into Kakashi's waiting palm.

"That's once," Kakashi said seductively into his ears.

"Do you have to keep count –"

Before he could complete his sentence, he was flipped onto his stomach. Two knees forced his thighs apart and he felt Kakashi's blunt tip stabbing at his entrance. Kakashi was not going to take him so soon… or was he? A slick, wet _thing_ ran down his scapula and spinal cord, ending at the crack between his buttocks. Sasuke shuddered when Kakashi's tongue reached the anus, his breath warming the private area. He took his time swirling the organ around the rim, making Sasuke subconsciously clenching and relaxing his rectum when the ticklish sensation dominated his lower region. Kakashi chuckled and Sasuke thrashed somewhat on the bed.

"You have all the right to win, Sasuke."

Kakashi climbed up and kissed the nape of his back, much to Sasuke's infuriation. He was close to his second release and Kakashi just had to ruin the moment.

"It's stupid of you to give up on the third round."

"There will be a casualty."

Kakashi snaked a hand in between Sasuke's body and the mattress, pressing into a very hard bud.

"If the casualty is me, that's even stupider of you."

"Huh? So cocky, you know the kunai in the hall –"

Kakashi pinched at the nipple, his blunt fingernail digging into the flesh. Sasuke hissed in pain as his back arched, allowing more access for his teacher to twist it between the pad of his thumb and forefinger. His free hand wandered to the puckered entrance and Kakashi circled the hole teasingly with his thumb, occasionally pushing in slightly only to withdraw his appendage quickly.

"What I mean to say is, Sasuke, if the casualty was me, you don't have to worry. You can keep doing whatever you plan to do, don't hold back because," and Kakashi pushed a portion of his thumb into the damp anus, "I can take it."

Sasuke panted, silenced by Kakashi's words. He began to feel like garbage. A conscious he did not know he still had gnawed his insides and Sasuke thought the next right thing to do was probably to apologise but Sasuke almost puked at the meager thought of it. So obviously, he was not going to. But even so, he was very grateful to his teacher although that would remain unknown to the other man.

"What are you thinking of?" Kakashi asked, his thick thumb sliding in and out of the entrance.

Sasuke shook his head a bit, frustration overtaking guilt. Sasuke bucked his hip up to force Kakashi probe deeper but the Jonin just _had _to use his _thumb_ which would _never _reach deep enough. The thumb rubbed at the wall, eliciting a deep groan from the teen and Kakashi twisted his hand, causing the rough joint of the finger to expand the canal. It was not going to help much in easing intercourse but he had told Sasuke he was going to be rough. That was not going to change.

"Are you ready?"

Sasuke's fisted his bed sheet and tried to hoist his body up. Kakashi helped him, wondering if the teen wanted to have sex in different positions but Sasuke only stared at the older man.

"Aren't you going to remove the clothes?"

He made to pull off his shirt but Kakashi stopped him, kissing him lightly before pulling him into his lap.

"No, we'll only remove what's necessary."

As if he was going to let Aoi see _everything. _The ANBU should be okay by now under Sakura's care. In fact, Kakashi was praying for Aoi to drop by sometime when he was deeply embedded in Sasuke; this challenge would then end with a win. Sasuke accidentally sat on Kakashi's hard on and immediately shifted his weight. Once again Kakashi held him and said, "Don't bother. You turn me on even if you stay ten feet away from the bed."

He fished his erect manhood out and let it stood side by side with Sasuke's. The teen stroked at both their lengths, still awed by Kakashi's enormity. It was only his second time looking at Kakashi's most private area after all.

"Sasuke… you don't want to keep doing that…"

Gently, the Jonin held onto Sasuke's waist and lifted the smaller above him. Sasuke followed his teacher's lead and half squatted above Kakashi's penis, not knowing what Kakashi intended to do. When he felt Kakashi's member at his entrance, his eyes widened.

"We're going to –"

"Sit, Sasuke," Kakashi urged kindly, rubbing soothing circles on his hip. "I'll guide you," he said, cupping Sasuke's erection as he spoke. The dark haired teen lowered himself gingerly, feeling the muscles stretching to accommodate the girth. He forced himself to go downwards without stopping and as soon as Kakashi caught the laboured breathing, he tightened his hold on Sasuke and told the teen to stop his descend even though he was only half in.

"It's all right, don't hurry it," Kakashi cooed, snuggling into his student's back. "And you know what," Kakashi added, removing his hands from Sasuke's hips and supported the teen's thighs instead, "maybe this'll help." With that, Kakashi lifted the legs, forcing Sasuke to spread himself out in the air. The teen struggled against Kakashi's hold, hotness emanating from his face.

"We're facing the _window_!" Sasuke reminded his teacher, trying to close his thighs but to no avail.

"Relax."

"Uh –"

And a loud cry tore out of Sasuke's throat; Kakashi pulled Sasuke downwards, successfully disappearing completely within the younger male. He lifted Sasuke upwards again and the teen had to rest the back of his head on his teacher's shoulder, his breathing erratic and heavy.

"Have patience…"

And then Kakashi saw it. From the tail of his eye, he caught a silhouette sliding away into darkness. Aoi had made it. Kakashi sensed someone lurking out of the window and figured it was the ANBU; seemed that the man was fit enough to climb on roofs and people's balconies. If he were to be in Aoi's place, he knew he would be able to see a cock penetrating Sasuke's entrance, proof to them having valid sex.

It was done. Sasuke had won.

"Okay, careful now, I'll lay you down –"

Kakashi paused mid sentence when Sasuke's icy cold hand brushed against his inner thigh. The Jonin took the hand in his, shocked at the vast contrast in temperature.

"Sasuke?"

A low gurgle ripped the air and Sasuke jerked forwards, his hand cupping his mouth. Panic thickened and Kakashi pulled out of the teen, supporting Sasuke's body with his torso, his façade scratched with worry.

Thin lines of crimson blood cascaded through his fingers. Sasuke's pallid features slowly lost its life and he sagged in Kakashi's arms, stray rivulets of red tainting his lips.

"Sasuke!"


	17. Paying the Price

Kakashi sat slumped in the wooden chair, watching the still unconscious form of Uchiha Sasuke, a person whom deep down he knew he should never sleep with since the beginning. When Sasuke said he did not want it and that he hated how his life revolved around sex, Kakashi should know better. As a teacher, it was his responsibility to lead his student out of darkness. Instead, he brought Sasuke right into its rotten core.

But, if he thought rationally, he hardly had a fault to apologise for. Then what should he do? Scold his student; reprimand him for his stupidity and recklessness?

No, he just had to take Sasuke from the back in bed.

It seemed several days had passed since Sasuke was warded when in fact it had only been a couple of hours. Sakura was as pale as sheet when she wheeled her team mate into the emergency room, Kakashi tagging anxiously behind her. After his "session" with the teen, the latter had fallen unconscious and had yet to regain awareness. Right up to now, Kakashi could only look over Sasuke's bland face, waiting for him to come around.

The report should be out anytime now; Sakura promised she would label Sasuke's case as urgent. She sounded insecure and that did _not _put Kakashi at ease one bit. Upon seeing her teacher's worried visage, she said she would consult Tsunade and no matter what it takes, she would return Sasuke back to the state he was before.

At least hope still exists.

Fed up of unable to do anything productive, Kakashi got up and stood by the window. Just as his back touched the aluminium panel, the door to the darkened room creaked open to reveal a tensed Sakura with a clipboard. Her death-like face sparked more anxiety in the chamber but Kakashi merely folded his arms, waiting for her account.

"Kakashi-sensei," she greeted. She shambled towards Sasuke's bed before settling the papers on the mobile desktop. "The report is out."

"How is he?" Kakashi asked immediately.

"I checked for external wounds like you've told me to. I found none, no questionable microscopic cuts whatsoever… so whatever causing this must come from _inside._"

"What do you mean, inside?"

Sakura turned the pages on the clipboard and read several lines. "I am thinking about poisons."

Kakashi turned to face the moon, recalling sequences of Sasuke's mundane life today. He did not know much but the teen was indeed incarcerating himself to the confinements of his home. If he did not step out of the house, who could have poison him? The teen was desperate to end the _bet_, not his life.

If Sasuke tried committing suicide, Kakashi would summon him from the dead and exorcise his spirit all over again. That was for taking the easy way out of a conflict.

"No, that's impossible, Sakura. There's no opportunity for anyone to poison him."

"I checked the content of his stomach."

Kakashi's ears perked up. "What did you find?"

And Sakura shook her head once. "Nothing," she said. "He didn't eat anything. Or, he _did _eat something but the food was easily digested. Fruits, drinks, porridge…"

How could someone ever guess what Sasuke had eaten prior to this?

"I'm having the medical assistants to run a blood test on a sample but that'll take a long time. In the meantime, I manage to extract a _cell_ sample and ran a test for it… and I've gotten positive results."

"For what?"

"Chakra poison."

Kakashi paced the room faster, clearly agitated by Sakura's intentional and painfully slow explanation. She should have told him that in the first place. He could search for a cure.

"There is no cure. There's nothing you can do."

"Every illness has one."

"The substance has integrated with almost all of Sasuke-kun's cells. I cannot extract it across the plasma membrane and the only way to remove the poison is by disintegrating the cells. Death is almost certain," she whispered. "He's going to lie comatose like this until his chakra store is depleted to zero. Then," she paused, breathing deeply, "it's over."

"And what does Tsunade-sama say about this?"

"She's locked up in her office, studying. I'm afraid by the time she's found a cure, it will already be too late."

Ever since Sakura broke the bad news, Kakashi had been thinking of the same persons over and over again – Aoi and the Five. His gut feelings told him they were involved somewhere along the line and the party who had the strongest desire to see to Sasuke's death (other than Itachi) would be the Five. He would search for Aoi, milk him dry for information… anything – Kakashi needed to get to the root of this conspiracy.

"I'll be leaving Sasuke in your care, Sakura. What can you do to prolong his life?"

Sakura fidgeted. She was going to ask where her teacher was going to considering the circumstances but trusting Kakashi's judgment, she replied mechanically, "Chakra transfusion. There are quite a number of people with Fire-affinity chakra in Konoha and that should feed the poison long enough. But the more chakra it devoured, the faster it will kill Sasuke-kun."

"Give me a time limit."

"16 hours."

Kakashi's grave expression retained its intensity as he nodded and vanished from her sight. While her teacher searched for the antidote or whatever, she would have to deal with Naruto sometime later when he received intelligence of Sasuke's case.

--

"Where are they?" Kakashi asked; his voice murderous and lethal.

"I'm not sure, Sir! They're – they're not here yet!" the bartender squeaked, cowering in Kakashi's shadow. The Jonin had not even laid a finger on the man but he was already weak in the knees, holding onto the counter for support. Kakashi stomped away towards the entrance when the sunlight dimmed in the presence of five huge figures; people who made Kakashi stop in his tracks and subconsciously tense in his stance.

"Oh, isn't it Kakashi-san? I wonder what you're doing here at this time."

They walked past the Jonin, ignoring his silent present all together as they sat around a round table several meters away from him. They ordered fruit punches, Kakashi heard, and used all the patience he had to suppress a budding snarl. The next words were spoken softly but the Five heard him loud and clear; they stopped chit-chatting the moment Kakashi spoke.

"What have you done to Sasuke?"

Nobody said anything for a fraction of moment. Ichi however was staring at the silver haired man intently. When Kakashi met his eyes, he looked away and with a wave of his hand, he asked simply, "How's the boy doing?"

He was right. They were the reason Sasuke was now lying half dead in the hospital bed.

"I need the antidote."

"Oh, you've figured out the cause? Konoha's medic-nin are impeccable!"

Kakashi remained quiet, ignoring their snigger. But upon seeing the Jonin approaching their round table at such leisure pace, their grins were erased only to be substituted by edgy-looking furrows. Ichi cleared his throat and said in make-believe confidence, "Harm us and you will not get anything out of us."

"Is that a threat?" Kakashi asked, amusement laced in his seemingly monotonous tone.

Nii gulped uneasily but spoke in a relatively calmed manner, "We did not force Sasuke to take the potion."

"Considering your way of doing things, you might've tricked him to in the first place."

All of them began to look discomfortingly at Kakashi's lax fist, half expecting the ex-ANBU to stick kunai deep into their throat without them knowing when he took action. They had heard of his litheness; his speed was equated to the nature of his Rai chakra – quick and deadly.

"We can talk this over," San intervened as Kakashi's hand moved towards his weapon pouch. He figured Aoi was out doing chores and was currently not able to protect his masters. If the ANBU was here, the Five was going to grin obnoxiously at him, egging him to strike them so that Aoi would have a reason to eliminate him from the picture.

Kakashi would give much more credit to himself; he was not easily provoked as the Five thought he would be.

"How do you poison Sasuke?"

A waiter came to the table, bringing 6 glasses of chilled fruit punches. Ichi placed one near Kakashi and gestured the ninja to take his share. That was when comprehension dawned upon him.

"How much did you put in his drink?"

"A couple of drops. We don't plan to kill him there and then so we tried to avoid potent dosages."

"I see… thank you."

His hand dipped slightly into his pouch, his fingers closed around the familiar handle of a kunai. San and Yon stood up so abruptly that their chairs toppled backwards. Kakashi's eyes were cold as he surveyed the chaotic scene unfolding before him; customers zipped haphazardly towards the exit, the bartender crouched behind the counter and the Five stared at him open mouthed.

He had not planned on a massacre but the Five would have to go.

"Konoha does not welcome murderers."

"We are not!" Nii cried desperately, holding a tray in front of his chest for defense.

"You're as good as one."

"If you hurt a single hair on our head, we will not hand you the antidote!" Ichi exclaimed quickly as Kakashi raised his hand.

"You can lie as much as you want. After this, you will not be able to speak any of them anymore."

It all became clear to Kakashi. They made an appointment with Sasuke and baited him with drinks. Sakura had said the problem came from within, something the teen had consumed. Something easily digestible, _fruit punch_… they wanted to make sure Sasuke snuffed it before he could entice his teacher to bed. Unfortunately for them, Kakashi really did take his student to bed and had even managed to help Sasuke win the round before the poison took effect. Sasuke won, and the price was his life.

"You want Sasuke dead, don't you? You can see him in the afterworld then. Good bye."

He flung the kunai and reached for 4 others from his weapon pouch. But at the sound of metal against metal, he leapt into the air and crouched on the floor, a new kunai stilled in his grasp.

"Aoi," Kakashi muttered.

His eyes narrowed as he saw an ANBU clad figure in front of Ichi who was crossing his arms in front of his head. Good timing, but how long could Aoi hold up against him?

"Out of the way," Kakashi warned.

"I will not allow you to kill my Masters. Retreat, Kakashi-san. Sasuke still needs you."

"You are implying my death. Confident, aren't you?"

Aoi smiled gloomily. He held his hand up, motioning the other 5 men to get out of the scene.

"If I were to die in your hands today, I'll feel accomplished, Kakashi-san."

Aoi's eyes dilated drastically when Kakashi suddenly evaporated into thin air. He quickly spun about and yelled at his superiors, "Get out of the way!"

He was very familiar with Kakashi's battle style vaing running through previous ANBU records. The man would honour a face to face battle when the opponent requested for it but Kakashi could descend low enough to take his enemy out from the shadows. That was because at the end of the day, only the living would survive to tell the tale. Nobody was going to jeer at the man who killed silently, _cowardly_ even…

Aoi knew he was too late when Kakashi reappeared behind San with his kunai by the businessman's jugular vein. Before the blade could sink in, someone screamed, "Stop it! We'll give you the cure!"

Kakashi stopped; everyone stopped moving. The speaker – Nii – was panting furiously, his fist high up in the air. A glimmer from between the gaps of his fingers caught Kakashi's attention.

"This vial contains what Sasuke-kun needs. I can give this to you but you have to do something in exchange."

"You're in no position to bargain with me."

Kakashi pressed the kunai deeper and Nii spoke loudly again, "No – no, please, listen to me, Kakashi-san! You just have to bring the boy here! We need to settle something with him and we'll administer the cure as soon as he reaches here."

"What can you vouch on?"

"Our lives," Nii replied, shoving the vial of liquid into his pocket.

--

The first thing Sasuke saw when he opened his eyes was the billowing curtain. Then he tilted his face and saw the ceiling, curtain railings… his vision was hazy but the strong smell of antiseptic almost certify his whereabouts. He attempted calling out for Kakashi but found himself too weak and thirsty to speak. So he directed all his strength to shift his blanket aside and tried to sit upright on the mattress.

Then his balance warped and his body fell sideways towards the floor.

"Got you."

His heart skipped a beat at the deep undertone. Instead of bracing himself for the cruel crash on tiles, he anticipated warm embrace of the man who only spoke to him in that velvety voice in their intimacy. Kakashi hugged him for a while as Sasuke was still in daze, not really alert to the uptakes but he closed his eyes all the same when his teacher kissed his temple. And instead of replacing him on the mattress, Kakashi took the teen in his arms and leapt out of the window.

"Don't speak, don't worry," Kakashi reassured, holding Sasuke tightly as he jumped agilely from roof to roof. "You're not going to die."

Kakashi had counted on Sakura and Tsunade. He would trust them both more than anyone else and unquestionably more than the Five. Regrettably, sometimes he had to have a plan B. If the Hokage had come up with a cure, Sasuke would not be left lying in the dark room, unguarded. He would be surrounded by many other medic-nin, various apparatus scattering on carts surrounding his bed. That was how Kakashi imagined the ward to be as soon as he returned to Sasuke's side. As time was pressing, he would have to rely on the Five.

Already it sounded brash and stupid but Kakashi was very much aware of his decisions. Knowing the Five, his gamble would backfire. It would… though what could he do? Sakura gave Sasuke 16 hours. That was a _very _long time… long because all Kakashi could do in that 16 hours was to sit around idly and hoping for some miracle while the other ninjas struggled in vain to research and procure herbs to heal Sasuke.

Waiting like that would spell certain death for the teen. If they thought Kakashi was loosing his touch when they found Sasuke's empty bed, they did not know how torn he was inside as he brought Sasuke to the Five. His guilt was playing on him again. He was going to surrender his student to some strangers and there was nothing he could do against it.

Was there really no other options?

--

"We've been waiting for you," Ichi croaked at the sight of Kakashi and Sasuke. The Jonin walked towards the center table; in fact, that was the only table in the area as the rest were huddled around the perimeter of the bar. The place was desolate and the only people present were the Five, Aoi and them. To Kakashi, the situation was perfect; if something went out of hand, no innocent people would get involved. The Hokage would understand why he had to lift a weapon against the men.

"Place him here."

Kakashi obliged and walked towards the table, the others backing off as he strode past them. Sasuke grimaced slightly at the coldness hitting his back; the hospital gown was as thin as paper after all. The Five grouped around the teen and Aoi took Kakashi by the arm, leading him several steps away. Satisfied with Kakashi's distance, Nii fished the vial out of his pocket.

"Open his mouth," he ordered. Yon held Sasuke's jaw between his thumb and the other 4 fingers and squeezed, forcing the teen to part his lips in a wide O. As the clear liquid was emptied down his esophagus, the other men held Sasuke firmly by the limbs, holding him down on the table. Kakashi advanced but Aoi tightened his told on the Jonin's shoulder, shaking his head.

Before the silver haired man could utter a word, a blood curdling scream echoed in the space. Sasuke's eyes bulged, his body convulsed and his arms stiffened considerably. The businessmen were using all they had to keep the teen firmly in place as Sasuke continued thrashing on the table.

"What are they doing to him?" Kakashi asked loudly, rounding over to question Aoi.

"The poison is being removed. The molecules are trapped within each cell and to eliminate them, you have to neutralize them from within. Sasuke's chakra nature is Fire and they're using that to combat the poison. He's burning."

Eventually Sasuke quieted but he was still grinding his teeth furiously, implying his arduous effort to keep the yelling to the minimum. He would have curled up, holding himself as the scorching sensation course his system but the Five held him tightly, forcing him to lie straight on his back.

"When will it end?" Kakashi asked quietly, a hint of emotion stirring in his visage.

Even as the words were spoken, the Five relaxed and loosened their grip on the teen, wiping sweat from their foreheads. Ichi was the first to walk away and Kakashi saw him slip a piece of paper – a cheque – between the bar's account books. He quickly switched his attention to his student and found Sasuke gasping for air.

"San, check his pulse," Ichi ordered.

San placed his index and middle fingers on the side of the teen's neck, the other free hand undoing the knots securing the hospital gown to Sasuke's frame. Yon then removed the fabric to reveal Sasuke's naked form; he had not donned anything beneath the flimsy cloth.

"His heart beat?"

San tilted his head, resting his right ear on the chest. Kakashi's security was jarred with the proceedings. He readied himself for another battle but Aoi was having a firm grip on his wrists. He sensed something unusual.

"The palpitations persist but he should be fine."

Kakashi twisted his arm, hinting to Aoi that it was time to let him go and said, "So, I'll be taking my leave –"

Kakashi caught a flicker of Yon lifting Sasuke's arms above his head and fastened them down with his forearms. Without thinking, reflexes caused Kakashi to bend forwards and throw Aoi off of him but two needles which were suddenly taken out by the ANBU dug into his shoulders and ribs. He charged forwards on chakra-enhanced feet only to see Aoi rematerialized in front of him, fresh array of needles readied in his fists.

"Out of the way!"

"Don't move, Kakashi-san," San drawled. Kakashi froze and bared his fangs, infuriated as the businessman directed a silver knife right above Sasuke's heart.

What wrong had the young ninja done?

Aoi kept Kakashi prisoned by the edge of his venomous needles, warning the ex-ANBU to stay still as his life was fleeting before Aoi's swift assasination skills. He made Kakashi watch in despair as Sasuke was served on the table, completely open to their lust and carnal desires. One of the Five who looked to be the youngest of the lot was ordered to hold Sasuke's arms as the rest had their way with the teen. It was his student out there who was going to be violated and Kakashi was again, rendered helpless.

"Don't you think about doing anything funny, Kakashi-san. One move of your hair or a sign of your chakra and I'll deliver the blow. Go-sama shall too," the ANBU murmured into Kakashi's ears, having switched place and was currently pressing himself firmly against the older man's back. While the 4 filthy dogs looked down upon their prey, Go had been forced to be in charged of plunging the knife deep into Sasuke's vital organ should anything go wrong.

"Despicable…" Kakashi snarled, his canine baring beneath his mask.

"For Sasuke's sake, stay put," Aoi said, finishing with a tinge of plead.

"You do not condone to their actions. Why don't you do something?"

"I cannot save Sasuke, Kakashi-san," the ANBU replied softly. His forehead creased and his voice shook but his grasp on the weapon was as solid as before.

At the brief interruption of Sasuke's breathy gasp, they turned back to the scene of revulsion, watching Nii rubbing on the teen's thorax. The man smirked when Sasuke turned his head to his side, closing his eyes to block the disgusting happening. Nii then came to his knees and with malicious deliberation, his pulled his tongue down from Sasuke's collarbone to the nipple area where his lips closed around the bud. He picked up horny chuckles and San knelt down opposite of his comrade, licking at Sasuke's other neglected one. The teen's jaws were set as he pushed his head into the table, ignoring the feelings of two slick muscles working at his hardening nipples.

"Tch, what's the use of resisting, boy? I'll make you squeal."

Yon rested his palm flat on Sasuke's stomach, ironing the teen's midriff as he felt the skin tingled beneath his callous fingers. He caressed the sides and lower abdomen, scrapping his fingernails lightly against the edge of Sasuke's navel. The teen did not react but his shock was apparent when Yon reached for his manhood straightaway. Without thinking, Sasuke heaved his lead-like legs up, wanting to kick the now intimidating Yon in his jewels but he stopped mid-air when he felt many fingers plunged roughly into his entrance. He cried out in pain but was soon silenced when Ichi thrust his penis into the conveniently open cavern.

"Suck."

Sasuke flinched and struggled in Go's grasp, pulling his head back but failing dismally when Ichi grabbed a handful of his raven hair. Keeping Sasuke's head in place, he pushed and pulled himself alternately against Sasuke's face, feeling somewhat put off at the teen's reluctance to obey his command. He then exchanged looks with Yon and nodded, causing Sasuke to groan loudly when Yon suddenly curled his fingers upwards. The vibrations sent Ichi moaning and he increased the tempo of his humping, lost in ecstasy.

"Like I said," Yon began, stretching the teen's sphincter muscles vigorously, "I'm going to make you squeal."

He beckoned San to leave Sasuke's sore nipple and work on the flaccid cock instead. The man complied, deep throating the teen as his deft fingers massage the scrotum. Thick sheen of sweat was plastered on their bodies and Sasuke almost puked at the violations, the musky scent of covetousness veiling in the air. Sasuke arched his back and he almost blacked out when Yon replaced his fingers with his dripping, monstrous manhood, broadening the diameter of his abused anus.

Sasuke could not be bothered to close his eyes. The coal irises were dilated yet empty, distress and confusion whirling in their depths. His fists slackened in Go's as he surrendered his body to rape. He no longer fought against Ichi's foul penis in his mouth, he dismissed Nii's relentless lapping on his torso and San's hot mouth tasting his manhood yet he could not suppress hate for his weakness at the tearing sensation with each painful impale.

So Sasuke gave up.

When Ichi repeated, "Suck," Sasuke actually moved his tongue against the head but decided to push his luck a bit by ignoring the sucking part. Ichi would have to give him one hell of a reason for him to extract putrid semen into his mouth… if only for a bit, let him have some say in it...

Warmth filled him when he heard Yon grunted as he orgasmed into the teen. Sasuke sighed, thankful that it was finally over and he had managed to live it through. Ichi had even pulled himself out from his mouth and walked away.

"Switch."

"Wha –"

Nii closed Sasuke's protesting mouth with his, plunging his dexterous tongue into the younger man's welcoming oral cavity. His vigour returned somewhat, showcasing his objection for the sudden change of event.

And for the umpteenth time of the day, a loud cry tore from his sore throat as someone re-entered his entrance.

"Ah, sufficiently tight for some good sex," Ichi moaned, sheathing himself deep within the teen in one go. Sasuke's spine curved up at the pain but at that angle, he choked on his spit as the intruding member brushed against a spot too deep to his liking.

He could not breathe.

"San, what the hell is wrong with you? The boy's not even half erect."

San distanced himself from Sasuke's manhood, saliva coating the length. The man wiped at his lips and said, "You said he's too sensitive for his own good. Does _that _look sensitive to you? He's practically not aroused –"

"That's because you're lousy with blowjobs, San."

"You do it then!"

Ichi slammed into Sasuke once more, earning another cry from the teen before saying between pants, "I'm not going to degrade myself for a whore like him."

Whore? Who are they to call him a whore?"

"Shut – shut up –" Sasuke wheezed, wincing at Ichi's erratic rhythm.

"Not broken yet?"

He had surrendered, but if he was going to tarnish the name of the Uchiha in doing that, Sasuke would get back up and fight to the death.

Mustering what remaining strength he had, he clenched down hard upon Ichi, feeling the walls of his rectum peeling off at the sudden grow of friction.

"Shit –"

Sasuke's head collapsed onto the table with a thud; Ichi had finally lost himself and spurted into him. The sickly feel of the second blast of sticky liquid splashed inside of him as he shifted his lower region for want of a more comfortable position.

Go then relaxed his hold on the teen.

He could go back home…

And all of a sudden, his front smacked harshly onto the soiled table top as he was flipped over by the men. He fumbled around for an escape but they had somehow pressed him down on the back, successfully immobilizing the younger male again.

"Get off me!" Sasuke barked. "Isn't that enough already?"

"Oho, you expect to put us into bankruptcy and let us watch you waltz away with your winning?"

Sasuke stilled at Ichi's words. Their shadows darkened upon him as someone else entered him slowly from the back again.

"You were not supposed to win, Uchiha Sasuke. You should have died in your bed. At least death is better than what we're going to put you through," Ichi said. A hand snaked below his pelvic region, pressing deep into the spot above his crotch. White substances oozed out of the anus, further lubricating the bloodied hole with Ichi and Yon's vulgar remainders.

Sasuke supposed they were right. Death would be a much better bargain. But he was very much alive, experiencing the feeling of being opened up again and again, used, stained…

He remembered telling Kakashi he had braced himself for pain in his course of life as an avenger, but not for anguish like this.

And those were the last of his rational thoughts as his elbows gave way and his fatigued body fell onto the table. Feathers hovered weightlessly in the air, adding some sort of much needed calmness to the atmosphere. The Five stopped harassing Sasuke, wondering where the fluff had come from.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi-san. This is all I can do for Sasuke."

Five bodies dropped to the floor unceremoniously; and so did two fine needles clattering onto the linoleum. Both ninjas hurried to Sasuke's side; Kakashi draping the unmoving form with the forgotten hospital gown while Aoi crouched beside his Master, pulling a leather pouch from the pocket.

"Kakashi-san, give this to him when he's healed," Aoi said, shoving the sachet lightly against Kakashi's chest. "Sasuke's winning, as promised. These are what the Five have got left after they've paid the citizens." Aoi then placed the pouch gently on top of Sasuke's stomach.

"Take him away. I'll make sure they'll never come close to Konoha ever again."

Kakashi eyed the ANBU solemnly, Sasuke weightless in his arms. When Aoi fished a kunai from the compartment strapped to his right thigh, Kakashi said quickly, "What are you doing?"

Aoi exhaled. He looked at Sasuke and said, "I've got to settle some business." Averting his gaze towards the Jonin, he continued wearily with a very weak smile, "I'll see you and Sasuke around sometime. Go."

Kakashi nodded, understanding the solution to the mess. If somehow in the future, Aoi managed to keep his promise and come over to Konoha – free from the Five clinches – to see Sasuke, he would think better of the man.

So he took off with his student into the open, never looking back.

Sasuke had wagered everything he had for money to realise his revenge. For Itachi, Sasuke gave everything. It was hatred remunerated by manipulation, sex and repulsion. Perhaps the plain made-up apparition of Itachi dead in the ground drove his madness which to Sasuke was pure motivation for a necessary killing to be done. It made him endure. But Kakashi figured Sasuke would not have to walk alone. Being an avenger was to be alone, yet he would accompany Sasuke as a man.

He would help Sasuke in his revenge; he would help him forget. When that day comes, he would then perhaps, be able to convince the teen to stay in Konoha where he belonged.

The money bag chinked as Kakashi's feet hit solid ground.

He hoped it was a price worth paying for.


End file.
